Kagami to Ai
by RavensFirefly
Summary: After their encounter with Kaguya, the group settle down for a well-deserved rest. But when Sango asks Inuyasha a seemingly simple question, that's when things really start to get interesting. -Completed-
1. Conversing

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Disclaimer which applies to all chapters: Put it this way; if Inuyasha belonged to me, the pairing of Inuyasha/Sango wouldn't be an alternate pairing. So, no, Inuyasha does not belong to me.

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WARNING: Spoilers for second movie are ahead! You have been warned!

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Night had fallen, and the group of shard hunters quickly settled down for the night. It was dangerous to travel after nightfall, they knew. And, besides that, they were all pretty warn out from their encounter with Kaguya.

"Ah... it feels so good to rest!" Kagome said happily, as she stretched out on her sleeping bag, "Too bad there's not a hot spring nearby though... ne, Sango-chan?"

The young miko's only response was silence, however. Sitting up again, she looked around, "Sango-chan? Where'd she go?"

"She went off in that direction." Shippou piped in as he sat, eating a lollypop that Kagome had given him earlier, "She said she needed to think some things over."

"Kohaku-kun..." Kagome whispered sadly, "Maybe I should go talk to her."

"I think the best thing for her, would be to just let her have some time to herself." Miroku said quietly, though anyone could tell he wanted to talk to her as well.

Inuyasha crossed his arms and began walking in the direction that Shippou had pointed out, "Keh. These woods are filled with demons. She's going to get herself killed if she stays out by herself."

"Inuyasha, Sango-chan can take care of herself." Kagome said, "She's an exterminator, remember?"

Inuyasha just snorted and continued on his way, "Of course I remember!" He called back, just before disappearing into the dark forest.

He didn't have to travel long before he found Sango, sitting in a small clearing, just staring up into the sky. Continuing towards her, he spoke, "Oi, Sango, what are you doing out here?" He asked, though he already knew the answer to that one.

The taijiya was silent for a moment, before shaking her head and replying, "Nothing. Just thinking."

Inuyasha stopped beside her, then sat down and laid back, closing his eyes, "These woods are filled with demons, you know. You're really stupid for coming out here alone, especially when you're not even paying attention to what's going on around you."

"I know." Sango said quietly, not even looking at him.

Her response, however small, caused him to sit up and look at her curiously. He had expected her to get upset and yell at him for calling her stupid. He frowned slightly, now was not the time for her to get depressed again. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he had the chance to, Sango spoke again.

"You know... I wonder..." And she trailed off, once again falling silent.

Above, a few clouds floated in front of the moon, casting the area around them in darkness. Inuyasha could smell moisture in the air; it would be raining the next day. But, at the moment, that didn't matter. He was more concerned about what Sango had started to say.

"You wonder..." He prodded after a moment of silence, curious to know what she was going to say.

The taijiya shook her head slightly. At the time, she had nearly forgotten it was Inuyasha who was there. Usually, it was Miroku or Kagome to come talk to her, and with them, she could talk freely. Not that she couldn't talk freely with Inuyasha, but Inuyasha, she knew, was one who tended to avoid subjects that dealt with how someone felt. Though, hearing him urge her to go on, she decided to just continue on, "I wonder... what Kohaku's doing now. Now that he's back with Naraku again..."

"Probably what he did before Naraku faked his death." He replied, "But don't worry, Sango, we will get him back. And, like Miroku said, Kohaku did call you 'ane-ue', so there's still hope." He glanced to the slayer, before turning his attention to the sky. Usually he wouldn't have said anything. Had it been Miroku or Kagome, or even Shippou in Sango's place, he would've just let someone else talk to them. But with Sango, he felt a sort of connection with her. He knew what she was going through more than any of the others. And she, in turn, knew what he was going through with Kikyou.

Sango nodded and managed to smile a little, "I know... Thank you."

After that, both warriors were quiet for a while. This time, it was Sango to break the silence. Something had been on her mind the whole day. Something, that she didn't even know why she was thinking about it. "Inuyasha?" She asked quietly, turning to look at him.

Inuyasha turned to her, raising an eyebrow in the process; a silent way of asking 'what?'.

And, at the same moment, the clouds drifted passed the moon, giving the surrounding area its ghostly, moonlight glow back. The moonlight reflected off of Inuyasha's golden eyes, making them glow much like a normal cat's eyes would.

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'Beautiful...' Sango thought, smiling slightly as she looked at the hanyou. She blinked, then shook her head slightly, surprised by her own thoughts. This was Inuyasha. Inuyasha was in love with Kagome. Or Kikyou. Or... one of them. The moonlight was playing tricks on her, she thought, trying to make up any excuse for her previous thought. She shook her head again and stood up, intending to return to the campsite before she ended up embarrassing herself, "Nothing. Forget it, Inuyasha."

"No." He said, grabbing her wrist before she could leave, "What were you going to say?"

She turned her head away from him, "Nothing. It was stupid."

"Let me decide if it was stupid or not." He replied, standing up but not releasing his hold on her, "If you were going to ask me something, then ask."

"Just forget it!" She replied, turning to him again, "It's not even worth mentioning."

"It had to be worth mentioning, or you would've have started to say anything." He said, becoming more and more curious by the moment, "I'm staying out here until you tell me what you were going to say!"

"You can't do that!" She said, frustrated. _'Why did I even have to start this?' _She asked herself, glaring at the hanyou. Though, as Inuyasha only shrugged and smirked, she gave up and sighed, "Fine! Did you mean what you said earlier?"

The hanyou blinked, trying to think of what she meant, before asking, "What'd I say?"

"If you can't remember, then don't worry about it." She said, hoping she had found a way out of the situation.

But he proved that he wasn't going to let this go so easily, "Sango, I can stay out here all night if I have to. I'm not leaving until I know what you mean. I've said a lot of things today, how am I supposed to know what 'thing' you mean?"

The taijiya closed her eyes for a moment, silently cursing herself, before finally saying, "After we got out of Kaguya's castle. When Houshi-sama tried... you said that you didn't want that to happen." She paused for a few seconds, her eyes on Inuyasha's face, looking at his reaction. Seeing realization dawning on him, she continued, "Did you mean that? Would you have let Kagome-chan kiss you, if you would have had a choice in the matter?"

His eyes widened slightly in surprise, as he realized just what it was she was talking about. He loosened his grip on her wrist, but didn't let go, as he blinked and tried to think of an answer, "Ah... eh... why do... you... want to know?" He asked slowly, his gaze shifting from her face, to the trees, and back again, "Did Kagome put you up to this? If she did--"

"No, Kagome-chan didn't have anything to do with this, Inuyasha." Sango said, interrupting him, "I just want to know."

"Well, why do you want to know?"

"You answer my questions first, then I'll tell you why."

"I don't have to tell you shit! But I have a right to know why you want to know something like that."

"If you don't have to tell me, then I don't have to tell you either!"

Their arguing continued for another few minutes; each warrior proving that they were just as stubborn as the other. But Sango's patience soon grew thin.

"Fine!" She shouted, bringing an end to their arguments, "I want to know because--"

"Sango! Inuyasha! What's all the yelling?" Shippou asked frantically, bursting out of the trees and scurrying to them, "I came to look for you because we were getting worried, and I heard you guys yelling. There aren't any demons nearby, are there?"

"Everything's _fine_!" Inuyasha half growled, angry about being interrupted just when he was about to find out the reason for Sango's questions, "There aren't any demons nearby, and we're just _talking_. Go back to the others."

The kitsune looked up at them, his green eyes blinking for a moment. Then a large, mischievous grin spread across his face, "Oh, I get it Inuyasha! You and Sango want to be alone? Alright then." He said, turning to walk back to the others.

Inuyasha immediately turned after him though, "O-oi! That's not what I meant, you brat!"

Shippou looked back and, seeing Inuyasha about to grab him, began running, "Kagome! Inuyasha's being mean to me! I just wanted..." And his voice trailed off, becoming just a low murmur as he arrived back at the campsite.

"Perfect..." Inuyasha muttered, rolling his eyes and starting to jog back towards the campsite. Though, seeing Sango wasn't moving, he stopped and turned back towards her, "Aren't you coming?"

"Of course." She replied, nodding slightly, "I'll be there in a minute." She added, turning to look into the night sky once more.

Inuyasha looked at her for a moment, before turning and disappearing into the tree-line. He was still wanting to know why Sango had asked those questions. And if she thought she was getting off that easily, she was wrong.

Sango waited until she couldn't hear Inuyasha's footsteps anymore, then sighed and looked down. "I want to know... because I think I'm jealous." She said, once he was out of earshot.

Or at least, she thought he was.

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An: Dun dun DUN! Did Inuyasha hear her? Or not? You'll have to wait and see.

Yes, I know, I really REALLY don't need to start a new story. But, much like 'Once the Dust Settles', this idea will not leave me alone. It hit me after I saw the second movie, so I had to write. That's... three stories I'm working on currently. Oh boy...


	2. Discovery

AN: Wow! Thank you everyone for all the reviews! I feel so... so loved! Anyways, I'll go ahead and answer some questions, so, here goes:

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blacktears: You'll just have to stick around to see what happens next Wouldn't want to spoil anything.

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moogoesthecow: I'm not sure how long this story will be. I just go wherever my muse tells me, so, there's no telling.

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Z.A.G: Wow! All that trouble, just to review this story? I really do feel special now :) Thanks for the comments!

AN: Okay, I think that about answers all the questions that were asked. But, thanks to everyone for the comments. I really appreciate it. Now, onto the story!

"Inuyasha! What did you do to Shippou-chan?" Kagome demanded to know, as she held Shippou in her arms. After hearing Shippou yelling about Inuyasha being mean, she had left the campsite to see what was happening. It wasn't really anything new, to hear that Inuyasha was picking on the kitsune; it was an everyday occurrence. But there were times when she wished they would just get along.

"Keh!" Inuyasha replied, rolling his eyes, "I didn't do anything to him! He was the one who--" And he stopped suddenly, immediately looking in the direction that Sango was in.

"...Because I think I'm jealous."

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'What the...' He silently wondered. He wasn't too far from where Sango was; though he was far enough away so that a normal person wouldn't have been able to hear her. Well, being half dog-demon did have its advantages; and one of those was excellent hearing. But, even so, Inuyasha wasn't sure if he had heard her correctly, _'Jealous?' _He cocked an eyebrow, and leaned in the direction that the taijiya was in, wondering if, and hoping that, she would say something more.

Kagome blinked, then frowned, seeing that Inuyasha wasn't paying attention to her, "Inuyasha? Inuyasha, are you listening to me? If you didn't do anything to Shippou-chan, then why--"

"Shut up, wench!" The hanyou interrupted, waving a hand in her direction.

That, however, may not have been the best response, because the next word Inuyasha heard was...

"Osuwari!"

"Guah!!" Was all he managed to say before he was face down on the ground. He coughed and muttered something, though that something couldn't be heard very well due to his face being against the ground.

Once the force of the impact, and the momentary paralysis that seemed to come every time she uttered the 'sit' command wore off, the hanyou slowly pushed himself up, "Well what the hell did I do?!" He asked, as his head snapped up to look at Kagome. But Kagome, he realized, had already retreated back to the campsite. He huffed angrily and prepared to do the same, but before he could, a voice spoke up from behind him.

"That's twice in one day, Inuyasha. You should know better than to make Kagome-chan angry." Sango said, a slight laugh becoming evident in her voice.

Inuyasha whipped around and rose a clawed finger to point accusingly at the slayer. He started to say something, but stopped abruptly. _'Jealous.' _The word echoed through his mind once again as he looked at her. Crossing his arms, he stood up straight, and turned as though he was going to return to the campsite. But, again he stopped and turned back to Sango, looking at her silently.

A moment passed like that; Inuyasha silently looking at her, and Sango began to get shifty under his unmoving gaze. She absentmindedly rubbed her arm, as she raised an eyebrow slightly, "What? What... are you looking at?"

He looked at her a moment more before replying with, "It wasn't funny."

She shrugged lightly, visibly relaxing again since he had spoken, though she was still a bit wary because he hadn't shifted his eyes from her, "Well, I guess that depends on who you ask. But you should go back to the campsite before you end up getting osuwari-ed again." She said, walking past him, in the direction of said campsite.

He remained where he was, however, and spoke up once again even though she appeared to be leaving, "You know, Sango, you haven't answered my question. Why are you so concerned about whether or not I meant what I said?"

The taijiya slowed her walk slightly, as if considering stopping. But she quickly shook her head and returned to her regular pace, "As I said before, I'll tell you that once you answer my questions."

He grinned and started walking after her; that was the answer he had expected, "You're not... jealous, are you, Sango?"

She instantly froze mid-step, nearly causing Inuyasha to run into her. She was quiet for a moment, before straightening herself and speaking, "N... no. Why would I be jealous?"

He only grinned more. So, she really didn't know that he had heard what she said. Her stuttering was enough to let him know that she was clearly nervous, "You tell me; why _would_ you be jealous?"

She turned suddenly and looked up at him, her cheeks tinted a light pink. Though she herself wasn't sure if it was from anger or embarrassment, "I am _not_ jealous, Inuyasha! I have no reason to be."

That grin refused to leave his face, even as she spoke, and he gave her a look which seemed to say 'oh yeah?'.

She pursed her lips and crossed her arms, though the color on her face only darkened to a light red, "Don't look at me like that! I'm not... why would I be jealous? Kagome-chan kissed you, and why should that bother me?"

"I don't know. Why _should_ it bother you?" He asked, stepping closer to her. The grin slowly began to fade as the look on his face changed from amusement to seriousness. Though he didn't want to admit it to himself, not to mention anyone else, he was becoming more and more interested in Sango's responses; her reactions, her answers...

The slayer glanced around, seriously contemplating whether or not to run to the safety of the campsite. There, she knew, Inuyasha wouldn't ask her all these things. But... no. No, she was a taijiya; she never ran away from things, "It doesn't bother me." She began slowly, "How many times must I tell you that? It _doesn't_ bother me and I'm _not _jealous! I want to kiss you like Kagome-chan did, so leave me alone!"

"Whoa, what?" He asked, genuinely surprised by what he had just heard, "You want to, what? Did... you just say 'I want to kiss you like Kagome did'?"

"What?" She replied, taking a step back; her face becoming an even darker shade of red, "N-no I did not! I said I _don't_ want to kiss you like Kagome-chan did!"

"That wasn't what you said, Sango." He said quietly, his eyes locked on her form once again, "You didn't say 'don't', you said 'want'."

"I... I..." She took a few steps back, her eyes wide with surprise, "I just... it... just..." Her voice cracked, as she turned away from him. Tears of frustration and embarrassment stung at the corners of her eyes. How could she have let herself slip like that? How?

Suddenly, she was aware of his presence close to her, and her eyes shot open. In the short time that she had her eyes closed, he had shortened the distance between them... a lot.

"Sango?" He asked in an uncharacteristically timid tone. Even before he had seen the tears, he knew she was crying. What had started out as a joke had quickly evolved into something more... something _much_ more. And now, he had made her cry? "Sango... you okay?"

She shook her head and looked down in response; too afraid to try speaking again.

Then suddenly, his fingers were on her chin, lifting her head upward again until her eyes met with his golden gaze, "Sango." He repeated her name in that quiet voice.

Sango quickly realized just how close they were standing, and, before she could comprehend what was happening, her arms shot out from her sides and her hands connected with his chest as she pushed him back; away from her.

Being caught off guard, the hanyou staggered back slightly, before falling to the ground. Surprisingly enough, no harsh remark came from his mouth as it usually did whenever he was pushed or shoved, Instead, he looked silently up, but Sango was already gone; fleeing to the campsite.

Had she stayed there a moment longer, she would've seen the hurt look that crossed Inuyasha's face.


	3. Thoughts

AN: Answers to questions asked ('Cause I like answering questions)

gloomy-angel: As I said in the previous chapter, I won't tell anything that's going to happen. You'll just have to wait and see :)

Myou-Kontan: Bribery? Hmm.... Maybe -

To everyone else: Thanks for the reviews. Its good to know you guys are enjoying this story.

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Night had gone, and much like Inuyasha had assumed the previous night, the weather was stormy. Thunder rumbled through the clouds above, and an occasional lightning strike would flash across the sky; though it hadn't started to rain yet. But, the small group of shard hunters knew that they needed to find a place to stay before they got caught in the rain.

Of course, getting caught in the rain wasn't something that Inuyasha was thinking about at the moment. Despite how much he tried to concentrate on other things, his thoughts kept returning to Sango; or, more specifically, what had occurred the previous night. Ever since they had returned to the campsite, she had been avoiding him. The taijiya had been sticking unnaturally close to Miroku, and, though the monk was proving he could keep his hands to himself, it irritated Inuyasha to no end. It wasn't so much that she was staying close to Miroku that bothered him, why should he care about that? It was more of the fact that she was avoiding him. The hanyou wanted to know why she had said everything. Was she really jealous of Kagome? And, if so, then why? She couldn't possibly hold feelings for him... could she?

Inuyasha frowned; the more he thought about it, the more confused he became_. 'You can't hide forever, Sango... Sooner or later we'll have to talk about all this... whatever this is.'_

"Inuyasha!"

The hanyou stopped walking, surprised at Kagome's voice, though he didn't show it externally. He turned around, to see that the others had fallen behind him, "What do you want now? How do you expect to find more jewel shards if you all keep lagging behind?!"

"Inuyasha, we _need_ to stop!" Kagome stated, jumping slightly at another rumble of thunder, "Its going to start raining soon, and its not a good idea to travel while its thundering!"

"Why not? You afraid of a little noise or something?" He asked, in an annoyed tone of voice, "A little rain never hurt anyone, and I don't see them complaining!" He added, motioning to Sango and Miroku.

Miroku immediately held his hands up, almost in a defensive gesture, "If its not to much to ask, Inuyasha, I would rather stay out of this argument. This is between Kagome-sama and yourself, not us."

"Actually... Kagome-chan has a point." Sango said, stepping up to stand beside the miko, "If we don't find shelter soon, we're going to get stuck in the middle of this storm. And, despite what you say, Inuyasha, I don't think this is going to be just 'a little rain'."

Inuyasha crossed his arms, turning to look at the slayer, though Sango, he noticed, refused to look at him, "Is that so? And just where do we stop? Here, in the open? In case you didn't notice, Sango, we're not exactly passing through a village! If we stop here, yeah, we will get caught in the rain!"

"You don't have to yell, I'm right here!" The taijiya replied, though she still wasn't looking at him, "Of course I don't expect us to stop here. But, in case you didn't notice, there _was_ a village back there, and the people there offered us a place to stay until the storm had passed."

"Then why did you wait until we were all the way out here before telling me?!" He asked, "Why didn't you tell me that when we were actually in that village? Maybe then we wouldn't be standing here like idiots!"

Sango's eyes narrowed slightly as she turned her head to look at him for the first time since the previous night, "We did tell you, Inuyasha. But you were too lost in your own head to hear us. That, or you were just plain _ignoring_ us. Which, I wouldn't doubt for a minute. So stop yelling, and stop blaming this on us!"

Before Inuyasha had a chance to respond, which he was planning to do, Kagome stepped between them and put her hands up, much like a referee would do between two fighters, "Okay, okay, there's no need to start fighting. Sango-chan, I'm sure Inuyasha just didn't hear us when we told him about that. So, instead of wasting more time here, why don't we just go back to that village? It wasn't too far back, and I'm sure we can make it before it starts raining."

"Fine!" Inuyasha replied angrily as he walked back towards the others.

Sango sighed and nodded slightly, trying her best to calm down again, "Thank you, Kagome-chan... Inuyasha always seems to agree to things after you say it."

The hanyou slowed down, before stopping just in front of Sango, "There's no need to be jealous, Sango." He said lowly, before walking casually ahead again.

"I am _not_ jealous!" She practically screamed as her hands clutched into fists at her sides. She was sure her face was red, though hopefully, Kagome and Miroku would take it as anger...

A satisfied smirk appeared on Inuyasha's face as he heard Sango's response. He knew he shouldn't have said anything, but he couldn't resist. Sango had been avoiding him all day, how else was he supposed to get her attention? He was sure that his comment would make the others ask questions, or at least make them wonder what he meant. But, in the end, it wouldn't be hard to convince them that he hadn't meant anything by it. _'What're you going to do now, Sango?' _He thought, amused.

Sango, however, wasn't the least bit amused by his statement, _'T-the nerve of him! How could he say something like that? Right in front of Kagome-chan even! Baka! Inuyasha no baka! Hanyou no baka! Inuyasha, baka! Baka, baka, baka!'_

Kirara looked up at her mistress for a moment, before flattening her ears and quickening her pace so that she walked near Kagome, ahead of Sango. Since the fire-cat had lived with Sango since Sango was young, she had learned that being around her when she was angry wasn't always a good idea. She looked ahead, her crimson eyes falling on the back of Inuyasha. Whatever had gotten her mistress upset had something to do with him, she knew, since Sango had been fine until he spoke to her.

-Later that day, at the village-

"It looks like we made it just in time... Looks like its going to rain any second now." Kagome said, glancing back to Sango and smiling slightly, "And, Sango-chan, I don't think Inuyasha meant anything by what he said earlier. He was just upset."

"Hmph... Inuyasha no baka!" The taijiya replied, crossing her arms as she looked outside, "He always has to have the last word in everything, doesn't he? Egotistical jerk! I am _not _jealous of--" She stopped suddenly, realizing that her friend had no idea what she was talking about. "Ah... sorry, Kagome-chan. I think I need some air... I'll... I'll be right back." She said quickly, as she walked outside.

Shippou blinked from his place on the floor, next to Kagome's backpack. As usual, the young kitsune would be staying in the same room as the girls. He watched Sango leave, before standing up and looking up to Kagome, "What's wrong with her?"

Kagome shook her head slowly, turning to look at the kit, "I don't know, Shippou-chan..."

Back outside, Sango found a bench next to a small pond and sat down. Sighing, she leaned her elbows on her knees and rested her chin on her hands, "How did I get myself into this mess?" She asked herself as she stared at the water. "Mou, if only Inuyasha wasn't so... so _him_!" The taijiya sighed, covering her eyes with her fingers, _'But, if he wasn't the way he is, would I still feel like this? Would I still be... jealous?' _The taijiya sighed once again. She herself wasn't too sure when she started to feel differently towards the hanyou. She wasn't afraid to admit that when she first joined the group, she nearly hated him. It seemed that every time she turned around, he was there taunting her, challenging her, or just plain _insulting_ her. She couldn't understand why Kagome or even Miroku or Shippou would want to travel with him. But... that was before Miroku took the time to explain his actions to her. _'He was trying to make me hate him so I would forget about the past...' _Sango smiled to herself at the thought. No matter how much he denied it, or refused to admit it, Inuyasha could be quite caring when he wanted to be. After she learned the motive behind his actions, she began to think of him as a close friend; much like she did with the other members of the group. Maybe that was why only Inuyasha and Miroku appeared in the nightmare caused by those illusionary vines Naraku had created. Miroku had been the one to take the time to explain several things to her, and Inuyasha, he had been the one who had tried to get her to forget about the pain...

The taijiya shivered a little, thinking back to that specific nightmare. It still haunted her at times... True, most of her nightmares were about Kohaku, but occasionally, she would relive the one in which Inuyasha was killed by her brother; his body slumped lifeless against a tree... His silver hair streaked red with blood... Those beautiful golden eyes open and staring, yet not seeing a thing... _'That really is a nightmare... even during the day...' _Sango thought, as she opened her eyes to look at the water again. Though, as soon as she did so, her hands fell completely away from her face as she lifted her head in surprise. There were ripples in the water, caused by the rain which had been falling for a few minutes now, though Sango hadn't noticed the rain. "Wonderful." She mumbled as she stood up and quickly returned to her and Kagome's room.

Meanwhile, sitting near the door of the room he shared with Miroku, Inuyasha grinned as he saw Sango returning to her own room, "Looks like someone got caught in the rain even though we're not out in the open."

Hearing Inuyasha mention Sango, Miroku looked outside just in time to see the taijiya duck into another room. "Sango's been acting strangely since last night." He said, mostly to himself, as his eyes narrowed in thought.

"Huh? Why do you say that?" The hanyou asked, looking up at the monk, "Because she's been staying around you? Yeah, that _is_ strange, especially since you tried kissing her right after we got out of that damned castle. The way she screamed, I thought Kaguya had returned." He added with a grin.

Miroku shook his head slightly, "No... Strange, as in she's been acting differently all day. And last night as well. Especially after..." He trailed off for a moment, then looked to Inuyasha, "After _you _went to bring her back to the campsite."

Inuyasha stood up, "And what's that supposed to mean? Are you saying that I started all this?"

"I'm not saying you started anything, Inuyasha." The monk replied, "Of course, I don't know what you mean by 'this', but all I was saying is that she began acting differently once she returned last night."

Inuyasha snorted as he crossed his arms and turned his back to Miroku, "I don't mean anything by 'this'! And its not my fault she's acting strange, she's the one who started everything by asking me about... things." He said, barely catching himself before he told what Sango had asked.

"Things? What kind of things?" Miroku questioned, "And are these 'things' possible the reasons behind Sango's behavior?"

"What kind of-- its none of your damn business!" The hanyou said, turning to face Miroku once again, "I didn't even give Sango an answer, so no, that's not the reason either!"

"Perhaps that is the reason, Inuyasha. Maybe she's acting this way because she wants you to answer her." Miroku said, "Did you think about that?"

Inuyasha was quiet for a moment, as if considering what the monk had said. Finally, he replied with, "Keh! Whatever." With that, he stalked over to one of the corners and sat down, crossing his arms and closing his eyes; a clear sign that the conversation was over. Period.

And Miroku, being quite used to the hanyou's actions and ways by now, knew it would be pointless to argue. So, he left Inuyasha alone.

'Of course she wants me to answer her.' Inuyasha thought from his place in the corner, _'But I can't answer her if she won't even talk to me.' _His eyebrows furrowed together as he leaned his head back against the wall, _'But what answer would I give her? I wasn't even thinking when I said that... maybe that's why I got 'sat'... But, did I mean it?'_ He himself wasn't too sure, at the moment. When Kagome had kissed him, he hadn't really had a choice in the matter; he was loosing his human soul. He couldn't remember too much of what happened once the demon blood began to take over; the only things he really remembered clearly were seeing Sango, Kohaku, and Kirara pinned to pillars by Kaguya, and seeing Miroku fall to the ground after he had scratched him. After that, Kagome was there. The hanyou frowned slightly, why would Sango be jealous? He had always thought she had her eyes on Miroku, but when Miroku had tried kissing her, she had screamed and slapped him. _'I thought for sure that Kaguya, or at least another demon had appeared to make her scream like that.' _The hanyou thought, grinning slightly. Though, the grin soon faded, _'But... why won't she talk to me? If we could at least sort out what happened last night then-- what am I saying? Nothing happened last night. _Nothing! _Okay, we talked, and that's it. Only... at some point she started to cry and I got pushed down. So maybe it _was_ more than a talk. Then... what was it?'_

The hanyou growled slightly as he stood up; he was getting a headache from trying to figure that out. Without another word to Miroku, he walked outside. The roofing of where they were staying provided enough shelter so he could sit outside of the rooms, but remain dry as well. He looked in the direction of the girls' room. If and when Sango came out again, he would make sure she couldn't get away until she spoke with him again.

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AN: Ah... if I don't end the chapter there, I'm not sure where it will end n.n;; I was having trouble writing this chapter, then I got inspired during a storm we had here, and once I started writing, I couldn't stop! Anyways... enjoy! And don't forget to review. Ja!


	4. Rain and conversations

AN: As usual, answering some questions here

Atropa13: No problem :) If readers didn't tell me to update, I wouldn't have any motivation to write. So, no worries

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Inuyasha remained outside quietly, just waiting for Sango to come back outside. He was determined to talk to her again; even if he had to wait there all night. After all, he couldn't just march up to the door and demand she come out. Well... he _could_, but that would most likely result in Kagome sitting him, or Sango hitting him with hiraikotsu. Or, maybe even both of those. In short; a very painful experience.

The hanyou crossed his arms and leaned back so his back was supported by the outer walls, _'She's not staying in there all day... Sooner or later she'll come out.'_ He thought, closing his eyes, trying to reassure himself. Thought, why and what, exactly, he was trying to reassure himself of, he wasn't sure. _'Even if she doesn't come back outside today, by this time tomorrow, we'll be back on the trail of Naraku. She won't be able to hide then. But then we'll have to deal with Kagome, Miroku, and Shippou. Wait, why do we have to 'deal' with them? It's not like we have anything to hide. Keh, nothing happened. Nothing at all!' _Strange... he realized, the more he said or thought 'nothing happened', the more he began to think that something _did _happen. _'So... if something happened, then what was it?'_

Before he could think more on the matter, his ears twitched at a small sound, causing him to open his eyes slightly. The door of the girls' room slid open a bit. Inuyasha turned his head in that direction, prepared to get up.

Kirara walked outside and the door slid shut behind her.

Inuyasha glanced to the neko, then snorted and closed his eyes, relaxing once again. Kirara wasn't the one he wanted to see right now.

Kirara turned towards Inuyasha, then padded over to him, sitting down beside his legs. She sat silently, just staring up at him with her crimson eyes. Something had, or was, going on between the hanyou and her mistress, she knew. The fire-cat hadn't failed to notice how Sango had been avoiding Inuyasha for most of the day, then how she had gotten upset with him after one comment. And lastly, just a few moments earlier, the slayer had returned to her room soaking wet from being in the rain. When Kagome had questioned her friend about what had happened, Sango had replied by saying, "He can't even leave me alone when I _am_ alone..." This had, of course, further confused Kagome and Shippou, but Kirara had understood. This 'he' whoever he was, had been on Sango's mind, causing her to forget about her surroundings. And from all the earlier events, it hadn't taken much for Kirara to realize that this 'he' was Inuyasha. That only left one question; why was her mistress thinking about Inuyasha so much? That was something Kirara couldn't figure out. She frowned, as much as a feline can frown, and continued staring at Inuyasha; hoping that he knew the answer to her question.

"What do you want?" Inuyasha asked, finally getting tired of Kirara starting at him. He never enjoyed people, or demons for that matter, staring at him, so when Kirara had appeared, it hadn't taken long for him to get annoyed by it. "Why aren't you in there with Sango like you usually are?"

The neko continued to stare, not even uttering a 'mew'. Finally, she leaned down and grasped the edge of his sleeve between her teeth and tugged on it, wanting him to move.

The hanyou scowled, brushing her away and crossing his arms, "Leave me alone already. Go play with Shippou or something."

But Kirara proved she wasn't going to give up so easily. If Inuyasha was the one who was causing Sango to act the way she was, then he was the only one who could get her acting normal again, and that was all that mattered to Kirara. The fire-cat jumped into the hanyou's lap and put one of her front paws on his chest as she leaned up and batted at the rosary around his neck with her other paw. One way or another, she was going to get him to talk to her mistress.

"Knock it off!" The hanyou said, picking the kitten up and setting her back onto the ground. He was beginning to tire of her little games already. Just why was she showing sudden interest in him?

Kirara sat for a moment, trying to decide what to do next. Sometimes, she really wished she could talk like some other demons did. But she wasn't ready to give up just yet. Crouching down slightly, she then leaped up onto Inuyasha's shoulder, before making a much shorter jump onto his head. There, she sat down, seemingly content with her recent feat, "Mew."

Inuyasha, however, wasn't the least bit impressed, "Kirara..." He began as he once again picked her up and held her at eye-level, "I said leave me alone! Next time, I won't ask so nicely." He set her on the ground once more and nudged her away, "Go bother Sango. Maybe you can get her to talk to me." He said, half-joking.

The fire-cat looked back at him and blinked her large, red eyes. So he _did_ want to talk to Sango? Then, why wouldn't her mistress confront him? This puzzled the neko, but she turned and bounded down the short distance to the girls' room. There, she scratched at the door, mewing.

The door once again opened, and Kirara dashed inside, running to Sango. The neko jumped into her arms, before nuzzling her, then jumping to the ground and returning to the door. She looked back at her mistress and mewed.

"What is it, Kirara?" Sango asked, following after the kitten since that's what she apparently wanted.

Kirara looked around the door, then back to Sango and mewed again before walking outside completely. She looked back to make sure Sango was still following, then ran towards Inuyasha again.

As Sango realized what Kirara was doing, she stopped. She saw her pet run down to where the hanyou sat, then look back at her as if saying 'well, come on'. The taijiya shook her head. Why was Kirara doing this? Did Kirara see something that the other's couldn't? She looked to Inuyasha again, before looking down quickly, _'I can't talk to him... not after what happened... He probably... he probably thinks I'm some kind of idiot after everything I said. And the way he teased me... there's no way he'd take me serious now... But... he had acted differently that night as well. He hadn't laughed or taunted me... he had... become oddly serious. So, maybe I...' _She looked up, only to forget everything she had been thinking about. Inuyasha was watching her. How long had he been looking at her?

"Sango." He said simply, as he stood up. He had noticed Kirara returning to his side once again, and thought that she was going to start pestering him again. But then, he had notice her looking back, so he had looked up only to see Sango outside. He almost laughed, realizing that the neko had taken his half-joke as seriousness. But, he held that laugh inside, seeing that Sango wasn't paying attention to him. No, at the time, she seemed to be thinking about something else. So, he had remained silent until she had looked up again.

"Inuyasha." She replied quietly, glancing back to the door of the room she shared with Kagome. She had felt like running back inside, but now that she was sure Kagome had heard her speak to Inuyasha, it would probably only arise more questions. "What... are you doing out here?"

The hanyou shrugged, walking towards her. Now that she was outside, he wasn't letting her leave until he had some answers, "Nothing really... Thinking." He couldn't help but grin as he noticed her taking a couple steps back as he neared her, "I saw that you weren't able to escape the rain earlier. Mind if I ask what you were doing that got you so distracted?"

"That's none of your business, Inuyasha." She said calmly, though she continued stepping backward. She finally came to a stop only a couple steps from where the roofing ended. Any more back-steps and she'd be in the rain once again, "But if you must know, I was only thinking."

"Must've been about something really important then." He said, stopping a couple feet in front of her.

She managed to shrug slightly, "If you say so."

He grinned more and crossed his arms, tapping a clawed finger on his chin, "So... if these things weren't so important, what were they? There had to be a reason that you forgot about the rain, Sango."

The taijiya huffed, crossing her arms as well, _'Right... I'm just supposed to say 'I was thinking about you, Inuyasha', that would be lovely.' _She thought, rolling her eyes, "It was nothing, Inuyasha. As I said before, its really none of your business. Now, if you're going to keep me out here, can we at least change the subject?"

"Of course, Sango." He replied casually. But then, his face became sterner as his amber eyes narrowed slightly, "Mind explaining what happened last night then?"

"What happened..." She repeated slowly, before shaking her head, "What do you mean 'what happened'? What _did_ happen?"

He frowned. He wasn't sure which was worse; _him _denying anything happened, or _her_ denying anything happened. Or, maybe they were _both_ equally as bad. "That's what I'm asking you! Okay, if you want to play dumb, then tell me why you pushed me."

She looked to the side, unable to meet his gaze, "Well, I pushed you because... well, what did you _want_ me to do?"

"Don't try turning this around." He said, "I want to know why you pushed me. Or, if you won't answer that, why were you crying? Why have you been avoiding me?"

"I don't... know, Inuyasha. I don't know why I pushed you, it just happened." She replied, throwing her arms up in an exasperated manner. She already didn't like where this was going... "And why should I answer your questions when you still won't answer mine?"

"Because, Sango, I don't have to tell you anything that I don't want to." He said coolly, as his characteristic smirk appeared on his face, "But I have a right to know why you're jealous."

"I am not!" She shouted, though she quickly lowered her voice again, "I am _not_ jealous, Inuyasha! Would you get that through your head? I am not jealous over some egotistical hanyou!"

That smirk remained on his face as he raised an eyebrow, "You _are _jealous. Just admit it."

The taijiya crossed her arms again, and looked to the side, "Why are you so set on me being jealous? It's almost like you want me to be jealous..."

"Maybe I do, or maybe I don't." He began, causing the slayer to look at him in surprise, "But I know you are because..." He paused for a moment, contemplating whether or not to tell her that he had heard her. Well, she'd find out sometime, why not now? "I know, Sango, because I heard you say it yourself."

She blinked and slowly uncrossed her arms, "You... what? Heard me? But you weren't even around when I said it!"

'So she admits saying it, that's a start.' The hanyou thought to himself, grinning inwardly at the small victory of getting her to admit it, "No, I wasn't really around you, but I was close enough to hear you when you said it. You should know, as an exterminator, that all inu-demons have excellent senses; hearing included."

"S-still, you don't have to be listening in on me!" She stuttered, blushing slightly, "And if you already knew what I said, then why bother teasing me? Why embarrass me in front of Kagome-chan and Houshi-sama?"

"I wasn't 'listening in on you', Sango." He replied, "Kagome was actually in the middle of lecturing me about picking on Shippou when I heard you. That was..." He laughed slightly, "That was the reason she 'sat' me." He was quiet for a moment, before continuing, "As for not telling you that I heard you in the first place... I wanted to hear you say it yourself."

"Me? Why does it matter if I say it to you, or you just overhear it?" She asked curiously, "It doesn't really make a difference."

"It does to me, Sango." He said, glancing away for a moment, before turning back to her, "Hearing you say it directly... makes it feel more real, I guess. People say one thing and do another, a lot of times. I guess hearing you tell me directly that you were jealous would make it more... truthful?"

Sango thought about that for a moment, before looking to Inuyasha once again and tilting her head to the side slightly, "Inuyasha? Do you _want_ me to be jealous of Kagome-chan?"

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AN: Better stop there, or else I'll go on and on and on... Just a note, if this seems a little... strange, I haven't slept since yesterday (its currently 11:33 am), so, if there are some mistakes and what-not, please excuse them n.n;; As always, please review and stay tuned for the next chapter! Ja!


	5. Arguments and surprises

Myou-Kontan: I'm sorry :( I'll try to make this chapter longer though

Shinna: Kiss and make up? But they've got nothing to make up for, unless you count the few minor arguments. Just bear with me for a little longer, okay? :)

Chibi Keruri: Thank you n.n I'm glad you're liking the story.

Z.A.G: Haha, yeah, something like that :)

Erika-san: Ouch, wouldn't want that to happen n.n; I'm glad you're enjoying the story though!

moggy201484271612345: n.n I update this story as soon as I can. Thanks for the comment though.

Sango da Taijiya: Thank you :) I'm glad to hear

MirokuLuvr: Thank you :).

Sango fan!: Thanks n.n

Critique 2: But cliffy's are fun! n.n

shadowkirara: I guess I could try making the chapters longer since so many people seem to be telling me that. Thanks for the comment though.

shamansun: Sorry that you think the conversation was a bit confusing; I'll try not to be so confusing next time.

Sozoku: Thank you so much for the comments! I'm glad you're enjoying the story. n.n

moonsiren06: I like making cliff-hangers, though I don't do it too often. Thanks for the comment. Oh, and welcome to the InuSan fandom! :)

AN: Okay, I think that about does it for responding to the reviews. Quite a few this time, ne? Well, enough from me, onto the chapter!

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"What?!" Inuyasha nearly yelled, forgetting that the reason he had wanted to get Sango alone was so he wouldn't have to worry about Kagome or Miroku hearing them, "Why the hell would I want that? Why-- keh, stupid girl!"

"Well, with the way you keep pushing me, what am I _supposed_ to think?" Sango replied, crossing her arms, "You're the one who kept trying to get me to say it, even though you already knew that I had said it. So, it sounds like you want me to be jealous over you, Inuyasha."

The hanyou snorted, "That has to be the stupidest damn thing I've heard all day! Don't be getting any ideas, Sango."

"Stupid, huh?" She asked, arching an eyebrow slightly, "Then tell me, Inuyasha, if its so stupid, why haven't you answered me?"

"I _did_ answer you! I said 'why would I want that' and that 'that's the stupidest thing I've heard all day'!" He replied, "Can't you take that hint?"

She smiled and shrugged lightly, "So far the only things I've heard have been ways around answering me. So, it'd be nice if you could answer me with a simple 'yes' or 'no'."

He opened his mouth, but quickly shut it again, as he looked to the side. "I don't have to put up with this shit." He mumbled, before turning to walk away.

However, he didn't get very far, because Sango showed she wasn't about to let this drop so easily. The taijiya went in front of him and put a hand up, stopping him, "You're not getting away from this so easily, Inuyasha.

He frowned, narrowing his eyes and leaning towards her a bit, "And just how do you plan to stop me from leaving?"

"I guess I can't." She replied, pausing for a moment, "But, it's not like you to be afraid of a simple question."

"I'm not afraid!" He said, his voice raising again with slight anger, "Fine, you want an answer? What do you _think_ the answer is? Should I be bragging about having a demon exterminator being jealous because of a stupid kiss; the same exterminator who is supposed to be a great fighter, and yet she hides behind her friends when she's afraid to talk about a certain subject?"

"A simple 'no' would've done," The taijiya said quietly, turning to leave. But, she stopped suddenly and turned to face the hanyou once again, "And, Inuyasha, yes, I _do_ hide if something scares me, or if I just need time to think about something. But that's okay because that's just part of being a human. And at least I can admit that I have faults, just like everyone else. I'm not afraid to be myself, and I'm not always trying to change just so I could be accepted by others."

Inuyasha crossed his arms, looking down at her, "And just what is that supposed to mean? Are you saying I change to make other's happy?"

"Why else would you want to use the Shikon no Tama to become a full-demon?" She asked, looking right back at him; not backing down.

The hanyou narrowed his eyes slightly, "So people like _you_ would just leave me alone."

"People like me?" She asked, as though the statement didn't make any sense, "And just what do you _mean_ by that?"

"People like you." He repeated, "People who think they know everything about me, so they try to talk me out of becoming a full-demon. People who know nothing of what its like to grow up not fitting in anywhere. People who can't just mind their own business and leave me the hell alone!"

About that time, Inuyasha's yelling began to reach the other members of the group. Miroku and Kagome, along with Shippou, looked outside around the same time; each in time to hear Inuyasha's last comment. Kagome looked down to Miroku worriedly, before turning back to Inuyasha and Sango.

But their presence didn't seem to bother Sango much, "I never _once_ tried talking you out of doing that, Inuyasha! And I may not know exactly how your life was while growing up, but don't think that you were the only one with hardships. Try being the only female exterminator in your village; always having to prove that you're cut out for the job, always having to prove that you don't need to be rescued and that you're just as good a fighter as the men!"

"Like that's the same thing." The hanyou mumbled, "Being an exterminator was your choice. If you didn't want it, you could've easily stopped learning the techniques. I didn't have a choice. I can't just stop being a hanyou. You decided to become an exterminator; I didn't decide to be this way. Just do me a favor, and don't say anything anymore, Sango. You don't know anything about how it was for me, so before you try to decide otherwise, just drop it and leave me alone!" He finished, pushing past her to leave.

The taijiya turned slightly to watch him, "You're right, I _did_ decide to become an exterminator. But that doesn't mean there weren't times when I thought about quitting. But before you start lecturing me on decisions, maybe _you_ should learn how to decide between the living and the dead!"

Inuyasha stopped immediately, turning to face the slayer as a low growl emitted from the back of his throat, "_What_ did you just say?"

"You mean with your excellent hearing you didn't hear me?" She replied, mocking surprise, "I said you should learn how to decide between the living and the dead."

Kagome stepped outside then, carefully approaching the two warriors, "Sango-chan... Inuyasha... please don't start fighting. It's been a long day, especially after everything that happened yesterday." She passed Inuyasha, stopping beside Sango as she placed her hand on her friends arm, "Sango-chan, why don't you come inside again? I think it'd be best if you and Inuyasha spend some time apart..."

Sango kept her eyes on Inuyasha for a moment longer. When it seemed like he wasn't going to say anything more, she glanced to Kagome and let the younger girl lead her towards their room.

However, Inuyasha wasn't going let it drop so easily, "I have problems choosing between something like that, huh?" He asked, ignoring the look of warning Kagome gave him, "Then tell me, Sango, what about Kohaku?"

Sango froze, then whipped around to face Inuyasha again, "No. Don't you _dare_ bring him into this, Inuyasha!"

"Why not?" The hanyou sneered, "You brought Kikyou into this. Kikyou's dead; living off of the souls of the dead. And Kohaku's dead; living off of a single jewel shard. You say I can't choose between the living and the dead? I don't see _you_ giving up on Kohaku."

Sango's hands balled into fists and clenched tightly at her sides; it was all she could do not to attack Inuyasha. Without another word, she shook her head and turned to return to her and Kagome's room.

"Going to hide again?" He asked tauntingly, "What's the matter? You can start things, but you can't finish them?"

"Inuyasha, that's enough!" Kagome stated, stamping her foot down, "What Sango-chan said wasn't nice, but you don't have a right to talk about Kohaku-kun either!"

"Stay out of this, Kagome." Inuyasha replied, glancing to the miko. Then, turning his attention back to Sango, he added, "Well aren't you going to answer me, or are you going to run away again?"

Sango stopped walking, but kept her back towards him and remained silent.

When she still refused to reply after a moment, Inuyasha finally shouted, "Damn it, Sango, answer me!"

"What do you want?!" She snapped, turning towards him once again.

"You _know_ what I want." He said, glaring down at her, "I want you to stay and actually finish a conversation with me, instead of running away like you did last night!"

She shook her head slightly, "I don't have to stay here if I don't want to, Inuyasha. And maybe I _would_ want to finish a conversation with you, if you could actually carry a civil conversation."

"Just what's your damn problem?!" He asked, throwing his arms up a bit, "If you're not bombarding me with questions, you're avoiding me. And, if you're not avoiding me, you're starting arguments with me. And you _did_ start this by bringing Kikyou up. What the hell is wrong with you?! This is a lot more than just jea--"

"Don't say anything." She interrupted, holding up a hand before he could finish the word. The last thing she needed right now was Kagome and Miroku finding _that_ out, "Inuyasha, just stop right there. Just... just..." She shook her head again, taking a couple steps back, "Just leave me alone!" With that, the slayer turned and ran out into the rain; just needing to get away for a while.

"Sango-chan!" Kagome called, about to go after her friend. But she was stopped when Inuyasha grabbed her arm.

"Stay here." He all but growled. And, before she could reply, he was gone.

"Should we go after them?" Miroku asked, coming up to stand beside Kagome.

The miko nodded, "I don't know what'll happen if we don't."

But, as they were about to do just that, there was a short burst of flames. When the flames died down, Kirara stood, in her transformed form, blocking their path. The fire-cat looked in the direction that Sango and Inuyasha had gone into, then turned back to the others, making a low, almost grow-like sound.

Shippou hopped up onto Kirara's back, looking at Kagome and Miroku, "Kirara said we should stay here. She doesn't think they'll hurt each other."

"Kirara knows Sango better than the rest of us..." Miroku said, looking to Kagome.

"I guess..." Kagome replied hesitantly. Though she trusted Kirara much like she did the others, Inuyasha and Sango seemed pretty angry with each other... The miko didn't want to see them fighting...

-Meanwhile-

With a short sprint and a leap, Inuyasha landed directly in Sango's path, "And just _where_ are you going?" He asked, folding his arms across his chest.

Sango stopped in front of him and glared up at him, "Nowhere that concerns you! Just leave me alone!"

"No!" He shouted. Then, lowing his voice slightly, he asked, "Just what is your problem?"

The taijiya crossed her arms and continued glaring at him, not answering.

This, however, just seemed to upset him even more, "Answer me!"

"Answer what?" She asked quietly, though her anger was still detectable.

He growled, aggravated about having to repeat himself, "What's your problem? Why are you acting like this?"

"Why? _Why_?!" She repeated, as if the answer was somehow obvious, "_You're_ why! You just act like nothing ever happened, and you won't answer my questions!"

"What are you talking about?" He asked, becoming annoyed, "Nothing _did _happen! And I don't know why you would think otherwise"

"Then we have nothing to talk about." She stated, turning to walk away.

He stopped her though, grabbing her shoulders and turning her back towards him, "Don't walk away from me, Sango! Forget me answering your questions, why won't you answer mine? What's wrong with you? This is more than just jealousy."

"I'll answer that once you answer me. You know why I want to know, so why don't you just answer me?" She asked, turning her head to look at him once again.

"Because I don't have to answer you if I don't want to." He replied, keeping hold of her shoulders, "But I want to know why you're acting like this, so answer me!"

The taijiya frowned, then shook her head a little, "No! I'm not answering anything until you answer me, Inuyasha! Did you mean what you said? Would you have let Kagome-chan--"

"No!!" He shouted, finally growing tired of arguing with her.

Sango flinched visible at the sudden yell, but quickly recomposed herself, "No what? I asked you two questions! You can't just say 'no' and expect me to know what you--"

And that was as far as she got. His lips were suddenly on hers, as he pulled her forward and kissed her. And, before her mind even had time to think about what had happened, it was over and he stepped back.

The taijiya stared, wide-eyed, up at him in surprise. She looked down for a moment, as she slowly brought a hand up and touched her fingers to her lips; as though she was trying to decide if it had _really_ happened. Looking back to him, she blinked a few times, trying to shake off the surprise. But the surprise, she found, wouldn't be shaken so easily.

"No..." Inuyasha began in an uncharacteristically small voice, sounding as though he himself was surprised about his own actions, "If I would've had a choice, I wouldn't have let Kagome do that. So, yes, I meant what I said about not wanting it." With that, he released her shoulders, and headed back to where the others were waiting.

Sango stood where she was a moment longer, before looking up and blinking as the rain hit her face, "What... just happened?"

-Elsewhere-

Kagome paced back and fourth impatiently, waiting for her two friends return. Kirara remained in her larger form, just making sure neither of them went after Inuyasha and Sango. Shippou laid, curled up on Kirara's back, using the opportunity to take a short nap. And Miroku looked on silently, though he was also concerned about the whereabouts of their two comrades.

When Inuyasha returned a few minutes later, Kagome instantly began asking him questions, "Inuyasha, where's Sango-chan? Did you find her? Is she okay? You two didn't start fighting again, did you?"

Kirara lifted her head and looked curiously at the hanyou, growling a low warning. While she had made sure he alone had gone after her mistress, she wouldn't forgive him if he had done anything to harm Sango.

"It's okay, Kirara." Inuyasha said, looking at the fire-cat. Then, turning to Kagome, he continued, "Yes I found her, and yes she's okay. What'd you think I was going to do? Jeez..." That was all he said before walking over and sitting down near the door to the room he shared with Miroku.

And, after an additional few minutes, Sango returned; once again soaking wet from the rain. But, despite that, she was... smiling? "Sorry about running off like that." She said quietly, trying to wring the water from her hair.

"Don't worry about it, Sango-chan." Kagome said, smiling slightly since it seemed like they had worked out whatever it was bothering them, "Besides, you're not the only one who should be apologizing." She added, glancing to Inuyasha.

"Keh!" The hanyou spat, wrinkling his nose, "I'm not apologizing about anything."

'Back to normal already.' Sango thought, with a slight smile, "Don't worry, Kagome-chan. He doesn't have to say anything. We both said some things we didn't really mean."

Inuyasha looked to Sango for a moment, before standing up and glancing to the others, "Its getting late. If the rain's stopped tomorrow we'll be back on the trail of Naraku. Better rest up, because I don't want to hear you all complaining about not getting enough sleep." He looked towards Sango once again, then disappeared into his room.

Sango smiled to herself. She had seen it in his eyes when Inuyasha looked at her; a silent 'I'm sorry' and 'thank you'. She unknowingly sighed, before exchanging a quick 'goodnight' with Miroku, and returning to her own room. Kagome, Kirara, and Shippou followed soon after.

After that, the group of shard hunters quickly settled in for the night.

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AN: Okay, I have no idea what happened this chapter... n.n;; One minute they're talking, the next they're arguing, then they argue some more, then he kisses her... Hadn't really planned it out that way... Oh well. Hope you liked it though :)


	6. Demons and protection?

moggy201484271612345: Thank you n.n And, you know what they say; expect the unexpected.

moonsiren06: This story really inspired you? Whoa, I'm honored :) I'll definitely have to check out your story!

ZmajGoddess: What the others will say? Hmm... well, what they don't know won't hurt them n.n

shamansun: Thank you for the great comments! :) I appreciate your tips and suggestions; very helpful

Sango fan: Yes, surprise kisses can be sweet :)

Z.A.G: Ha, for some reason, your review made me start laughing. Thanks for the comment though n.n

purplepeopleeater: Things may or may not get awkward; you'll have to stick around to find out :) And, yes, Inuyasha really does look cute when he blushes!

high-off-life : Yes, Inuyasha and Sango really are the best pairing! In my world, at least :) Thanks for the comment; I'm glad you're enjoying the story!

MirokuLuvr: Yup, a surprise kiss n.n Miroku and Kagome? Well, they'll find out-- ::gets dragged off by people who don't want to be spoiled::

To everyone else: Either I wasn't sure how to respond to your reviews individually, or you basically said the same thing as someone else; thanks for the review! I appreciate each and every one I receive for this story, so don't think your review went unnoticed.

AN: Okay, I think that about does it. It's nice to see that a lot of you enjoyed the surprise kiss I threw in there last chapter :) Without further ado... onto the chapter!

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Night went, and morning brought about a cool and sunny morning. The rain had ceased sometime during the night, and the morning air held a nice and refreshing scent. And, it wasn't long before the group of shard hunters had set out once again; after thanking the village chief, of course.

Shippou skipped happily ahead of everyone else, splashing in the puddles created by the previous nights rains. The kitsune's eyes sparkled with laughter as he kicked up bits of gravel and water, before glancing back to his other companions and grinning childishly. He would wait for them to get close, and then he would scurry ahead to find another puddle; though he was always sure not to stray too far.

Kagome smiled warmly as she watched the kit play. It was comforting, to think that even while they were on a seemingly never-ending journey to collect jewel shards, that Shippou could still find fun in the simplest of things. Her smile faded slightly as she glanced over to Inuyasha. He had seemed to be in thought since they had left the village. And Sango... the miko turned her attention ahead to Shippou once again, though her thoughts went to the taijiya. Sango was quiet; which wasn't _too_ strange. Though... Kagome hadn't failed to notice that Sango would occasionally sigh, for no apparent reason. And, when she would look to her friend, Sango would merely smile and nod towards her. Add that onto everything that had happened the past couple of days, and it almost seemed like there was something going on between the hanyou and taijiya...

Kagome shook her head, that was just plain _silly_! What could _possibly_ be going on between them? Kagome knew that Sango loved Miroku. And Inuyasha still loved Kikyou... despite how much Kagome hated to admit that fact, she knew it was true. So, there couldn't _possibly_ be anything between Inuyasha and Sango.

While the group continued on in silence, Kirara suddenly stopped. The neko lifted her nose into the air and sniffed a couple of times, before growling; her fur bristling a bit.

Sango stopped walking, and looked down to her faithful companion, "What is it, Kirara?"

The fire-cat looked around warily, still growling, but remaining in her normal form.

"Wait a minute!" The taijiya called ahead to the others, as she gripped hiraikotsu's strap, "There's something around that Kirara doesn't like."

"Whatever it is, its been following us for a while now." Inuyasha said, stopping and glancing back to Sango, "It hasn't tried to make a move though, so I think we should be okay. Come on, we should keep moving." He added, beginning to walk once again.

Kagome glanced to Inuyasha, before shading her eyes with a hand and looking ahead to Shippou, "Shippou-chan, I think you should come back here with us." The miko squinted her eyes, trying to locate the kitsune, but she couldn't see him, "Shippou-chan? Shippou-chan!"

"What?" Shippou asked curiously, oblivious to the fact that something seemed to be tracking them. While the others had paused momentarily, the kit had ventured back and to the side of them; where he scampered to the edge of a stream that ran alongside the path they were taking.

Kagome let out an audible sigh of relief as she looked over to Shippou, "Don't scare me like that, Shippou-chan." She scolded lightly, before putting on a smile and adding, "Stay close to us for a while, okay?"

The little fox-demon nodded, and splashed some of the cool water on his face, "Okay, Kagome."

Just as Shippou began walking up the slight incline to return to the group, an ominous shadow passed overhead. And, a couple seconds later, a hawk-demon swooped down, trying to grab the kitsune in its claws.

"Shippou, get down!" Sango yelled, the moment she saw the shadow.

Immediately, Shippou dropped to the ground, covering his head with his paws.

The razor-sharp talons of the hawk cut through the air only inches above Shippou's now-crouched form, before the demon flew higher into the sky and turned, prepared to make another attempt at catching its meal.

Before it could, though, an arrow pierced through the air; though it missed the demon by about a foot. Kagome frowned, upset about missing, as she readied to fire another arrow. "Shippou-chan! Get over here!" She said, not taking her eyes off the hawk. She wanted to make sure the kitsune wouldn't be seen as an easy target, and the best way to do that, was to make sure he was with them.

Shippou nodded shortly as he stood up and scurried towards them.

When the hawk once again tried to dive towards him, Sango flung hiraikotsu towards it. The large weapon cut through the air, connecting with the birds' left wing.

The hawk-demon screeched as it broke out of its dive. It flitted carelessly about for a moment, before seemingly regaining its balance in the air and turning towards the taijiya. It let out another screech as it abandoned its attack on Shippou, and turned to dive at Sango instead; who was now without her main weapon.

However, Inuyasha saw this and he reached Sango before the hawk did. He grabbed her, intending to pull her out of the way, but, unfortunately, the demon moved faster than he had assumed, and the hawk hit Inuyasha square on the back with its talons.

The sudden impact knocked the hanyou down, and because he was holding onto Sango, he brought her down with him. The two fell, rolling down the slight incline before coming to a stop in the water of the stream. The water where they landed was only a few inches deep, but it was still _very_ cold.

The moment Sango and Inuyasha were down, Miroku unleashed his kazaana; making sure the hawk wouldn't bother them again. As he wrapped the prayer beads around his arm once more, sealing the curse, he looked to where his two companions had fallen.

Once the kazaana was sealed again, Kagome had ran to the edge of the path, wanting to make sure her friends were okay.

Sango felt like wincing, but instead, gasped as she hit the water. "What _is_ it... with you and water?" She asked, after catching her breath again since it had been knocked from her when Inuyasha landed on top of her.

"Yeah, you're welcome, Sango." Inuyasha said sarcastically as he pushed himself up, "You know, you're supposed to _thank_ someone when they save you." He added, standing up and offering his hand to help pull her up.

The taijiya sat up, looking at Inuyasha, then looking to his outstretched hand. Really, what _was_ it about him and water? First she had been caught in the rain because she had been thinking about him. Then she had run out into the rain to try and get away from him. And now, they had both fallen into water after he saved her from the hawk-demon. She shook her head slightly; she couldn't stay upset with him even if she wanted too. "Thank you, Inuyasha." She said, smiling slightly as she reached out and took his hand.

The hanyou snorted as he easily pulled her up, "It kind of looses its meaning after someone tells you to say it." He said, rolling his eyes.

"Do I really have to say thank you for you to know that I _am_ thankful, Inuyasha?" She asked.

He crossed his arms and looked off to the side, "I... guess not." He mumbled, glancing back to the slayer.

"Then don't sound so offended if I don't." She replied, patting his back a bit. Though her smile slowly faded as she did so. She could feel that the back of Inuyasha's fire-rat coat was torn, and as she looked at her hand again, she saw blood, "Inuyasha, your back!"

"Huh?" Inuyasha looked over his shoulder, trying to see what she was talking about. Looking back to Sango, he noticed her hand had blood on it. "Ah, it'll take a lot more than a couple scratches to get rid of me." He said, smirking arrogantly.

Sango frowned slightly, her eyebrows furrowing together in concern, "This looks worse than just a simple scratch, Inuyasha... Maybe we should rest here for a moment, so someone can look at your back."

"Keh, I'm not a child, you know. I'm fine, and we don't need to be stopping just because that damned bird made me bleed a little." He replied, turning towards the path again.

"Mou, Inuyasha, don't start fighting with Sango-chan again." Kagome said, taking hold of his sleeve and pulling him down to a sitting position, "Sango-chan is right, that's not just a scratch. Besides, we could use a little break after that demon attacked."

Inuyasha, on the other hand, just snorted.

-A little while later-

Sango, now clad only in her slayers suit since her kimono needed drying, rubbed her shoulder slightly, before moving her arm in a circular motion. She winched slightly, and then rubbed her shoulder a bit more. _'Looks like I hurt it worse than I thought...' _When she had landed in the water, her shoulder had hit a sharp rock; but that was better than what _could_ have happened. Her eyes turned to look at Inuyasha and Kagome for a moment. Inuyasha had gotten the most force from the attack; he had taken it to save her. A sore shoulder was better than death. And, for his troubles, the hanyou had been clawed pretty badly. Kagome was wrapping bandages around his chest, covering the wounds on his back. And, Sango couldn't help but feel jealousy rise up in her. She quickly shook her head, though her gaze continued to linger on the hanyou and miko, _'Kagome-chan is the best when it comes to her medicines from the future... its best for Inuyasha if she do this.. Besides... besides, Inuyasha would have done the same thing for any of us… And… he hasn't even tried talking to me about that kiss. So... maybe it was just a spur of the moment thing... Maybe it didn't mean anything at all. I shouldn't be jealous of Kagome-chan anymore...' _She sighed, feeling her heart sink, as she looked down to the ground. When she finally did look up again, her eyes met with golden ones, and her heart fluttered, as the despair seemed to melt away. The look he was giving her... it was... it was almost like an apologetic look. Could he... did he really... was it possible he felt the same way for her that she did for him? That thought alone made her smile slightly. And Inuyasha, she saw, returned the smile with one of his own; it was only a slight one, barely noticeable, but it was there.

Suddenly, though, Sango felt a hand on her shoulder and she jerked around to see who had startled her. "Houshi-sama, don't do that!" She said sharply, catching herself before she attacked him purely from surprise.

"Forgive me, Sango." The monk replied, raising his arms slightly, prepared to defend himself. Though, as he saw her relax again, he did as well, "I didn't mean to startle you. Are you alright? That demon didn't hurt you, did it?"

The taijiya shook her head slightly; glad to get her mind off of Inuyasha for the moment. She wasn't sure if she wanted to get caught smiling at Inuyasha, and she was sure Inuyasha _wouldn't_ appreciate getting caught smiling at her. At least... not until they had figured out how and what to tell the others... "My shoulder's a little sore, Houshi-sama, but Inuyasha was the one who got hit the hardest. If it wasn't for him, I'd be hurt worse."

Miroku nodded, looking over to the hanyou, who was still being 'patched up', he then turned back to Sango and smiled, "I know. But I just wanted to make sure you weren't hurt, Sango."

Sango smiled a bit, "Thank you, Houshi-sama." She was prepared to say more, but before she could, arms wrapped around her and she found herself pulled into an embrace from the monk in front of her.

The moment the slayer was stunned into silence, a growl pierced through the air. From where he sat on the ground, Inuyasha growled as Miroku hugged Sango. He hadn't even realized he was doing it, until he had heard it. But something had awakened inside of him when he saw the monk pull her into a hug; a fierce protectiveness.

But luckily, or maybe un-luckily, depending on how you looked at it, he growled just as Kagome applied some medicinal ointment to one of the many claw marks on his back. So, the miko had attributed his growling to the stinging sensation, "Now, now, Inuyasha, it doesn't hurt that much." She said, smiling at the sight of Miroku and Sango.

Sango, even though her back was to the hanyou, immediately knew the real reason Inuyasha as growling, and she couldn't help but feel a slight fear for Miroku. The only time Inuyasha growled was when they were in battle, but here... "H-Houshi-sama, l-let me go!" She said, struggling to pull back.

Miroku, however, wasn't letting go, "I'm just glad you're okay. I was worried about you."

"You worry to much!" She stated, trying to push him away from her.

"How can I help but worry?" Miroku replied, grinning innocently, though even as he spoke his hand began to travel lower...

Sango let out a sound, which could only be described as a squeak, "Houshi-sama!!" She finally wriggled loose from his hold, and went to slap him. Her hand, however, only connected with air. She opened her eyes, and looked at where Miroku had stood seconds ago, only to see Inuyasha in front of her.

The moment he had noticed Miroku's hands roaming to where they shouldn't be, Inuyasha had jumped up, surprising both Kagome and Miroku. The monk had seen him coming and instantly let go of the taijiya and moved back.

As Inuyasha remained where he was, glaring daggers at the startled monk, everyone fell silent. Even Shippou, who had been playing with Kirara, had stopped and turned curious eyes to the scene that was unfolding.

Finally, Inuyasha broke the silence as he stepped closer to Miroku, taking hold of the front of his robes, "If I _ever_ see you doing anything like that again..." He practically hissed through clenched teeth, "I will personally make sure that you _never_ have to worry about 'wondering hands' ever again." He pulled the monk closer; growling out his next word, "_Understand_?"

"H-hai, Inuyasha! Of course!" Miroku replied, turning his head to the side slightly, giving Kagome a pleading look. While the hanyou was known for his jealousy streaks, Miroku had never seen him have one towards Sango before. And Inuyasha had never physically threatened him like this before either...

"Inuyasha..." Kagome began softly, standing up, "It's okay... Miroku-sama didn't mean anything. He was... he was just glad that Sango-chan wasn't hurt."

"I can think of better ways to show it." Inuyasha replied, not releasing his hold on the monk.

"It... it's okay, Inuyasha. Houshi-sama was just... it's fine. Just, let him go." Sango said, not quite sure what to do in the current situation. She hadn't thought that he would react like this, and, though she didn't appreciate Miroku's groping, she didn't want Inuyasha to hurt him either.

Inuyasha loosened his grip on the robes slightly, "It wasn't okay. And it better not happen again." With that, he let go of the fabric completely and turned to Sango. And, without another word, he took her by the wrist and pulled her away from the others.

Once they were out of sight, Miroku let out a sigh of relief, "Buddha has smiled upon me today..." He said, without a hint if sarcasm in his voice.

Kagome looked from the direction they had gone, to Miroku, "I'm sure Inuyasha wouldn't have really hurt you, Miroku-sama. But..." She turned back to the tree line, frowning slightly, "Why did he react that way?"

Elsewhere, Inuyasha stopped and turned to look at Sango, "Are you okay?"

Sango blinked, but nodded slowly, "Of course I am, Inuyasha. Houshi-sama didn't attack me or anything... but... why did you do that?"

The hanyou let go of her wrist as he looked to the side; much like he always did when he was embarrassed about something, "Well... I don't know why. Did you _want_ Miroku to grope you or something?"

"Eh? O-of course not!" She replied, "I just want to know why you threatened him like that... You... you never did that before..."

'I've never felt_ like doing it before.' _He thought, looking to Sango once again, "Well I... I just..." He glanced away again, "I've never seen him do that after I've _kissed_ you before either..."

"Then..." The taijiya blinked, then a smile slowly spread across her face, "You're jealous!"

"I-I am not!" He replied, shaking his head slightly, "I was just... I was just trying to _protect_ you!"

She took a step back, surprised, "Protect me? From Houshi-sama? Why were you trying to protect me? Admit it, you were jealous!"

"I am _not_ jealous!" He said, moving closer to her, "I was trying to protect you because I felt like it! And because I... Because..."

"Because... what?" She asked, once he hadn't responded for a moment. She smiled inwardly, realizing just how familiar this conversation seemed. Although, now it was him answering with hesitant responses and not her.

He was once again quiet, before beginning to speak up again, "Because... I don't know, Sango. That's the truth. Just seeing Miroku holding you-- _touching_ you like that... it... I was mad. My demon instincts..." He trailed off and looked at his hand, before clutching it into a fist as his head lifted again until his eyes met with Sango's, "I was ready to fight for you."

"Fight for me?" The taijiya asked, unsure if she had heard him correctly, "You were... then... that kiss... it really meant something?"

The hanyou nodded slowly, "Of course it did, Sango..."

Sango smiled and stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him as she leaned her head against his shoulder, "I'm glad..."

He merely smiled a bit, as he slowly put his arms around her as well; returning her hug. If it were anyone else, he would've probably blushed. But with Sango... it felt... natural. Inuyasha wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but Sango seemed to move back too soon. He kept his arms around her waist though, making sure she couldn't move away from him completely. When she looked at him again, he noticed she was blushing, and he raised an eyebrow, _'What is she thinking?'_

"Inuyasha?" She asked timidly, almost hesitantly. The taijiya paused for a few seconds, trying to gather the courage to ask what she wanted to ask. "Would you... ano... can I..." She trailed off for a moment, biting her lower lip in nervousness. "Could I... kiss you?" She asked finally, speaking quietly.

So quietly, in fact, that had he not been an inu-hanyou, Inuyasha probably wouldn't have heard her. He blinked and stuttered something, before collecting himself and clearing his throat, "Why... are you asking?"

"Well... you kissed me, but I didn't get a chance to kiss you back." She replied softly, though it was more audible than what she had said before, "And, one of the things you told Kagome-chan was that she shouldn't have kissed you without asking. So... I'm asking you, Inuyasha, can I kiss you?"

He smiled slightly, _'She really remembers everything I said?' _He chuckled before replying with, "Sure, Sango."

She smiled, and blushed even more. She had wanted to make sure he wouldn't accuse her of doing something without his say so. But... he had said she could... so... The taijiya leaned up onto her toes, and hesitated only a second, before pressing her lips to his. It was something she had longed to do since he had first kissed her... she could hardly believe that she was finally returning the kiss he had given her only a day earlier.

The hanyou grinned inwardly at her timid-ness. She was a fierce fighter on the battlefield; but here, on a different type of field, one could say, she was shy... timid... inexperienced.

But that didn't matter. No, all that mattered now was that she was there, with him, _kissing_ him. And, letting all other thoughts fall from his mind, he let his own lips move against hers; kissing her in return.

It seemed only a couple seconds had passed when a sound forced them to part; the sound of a twig snapping.

Inuyasha turned, positioning himself in front of Sango. Injured or not, he would defend her if need be.

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AN: This. Chapter. Was. Impossible. To. Write. Ugh. But... it was worth it. ::hopeful look:: Right? R...I...G...H...T? Hehe. Guess what episode I got that from and I'll give you a cookie n.n Okay, I'm having entirely too much fun in this author's note. Anyways... you know, it's occurred to me that I've never read a story in which Inuyasha says he was prepared to fight for someone. Demons would fight for the right to have a certain female as a mate, right? And while Inuyasha may or may not think of Sango in that way, wouldn't it seem fitting that his demon-instincts would kick in at some point? Or am I just reading too much into things? Ah... either way... Until next time! Ja!


	7. Surprises, complements, and tension

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Atropa13: n.n Well, I'm glad you're enjoying the story

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ZmajGoddess: Aw, I don't hate you; I just like leaving cliffhangers once in a while.

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YojimbosBlade: Thanks n.n And, I was wondering when someone would ask. 'Kagami to Ai' simply means 'Mirrors and Love' Since this storyline is based off of the second movie, and the second movie storyline involved mirrors, I thought it was fitting. That, and I'm terrible when it comes to naming things n.n;;

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anime gurl: Yup, that's where I got that from; episode 132. So, yes, you got that right. And, thanks for the advice. I don't use cliffhangers often though.

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smbee6: No, no, don't die! n.n; Sometimes I can write a new chapter with no trouble, and sometimes it takes longer. As for my other stories... Well, 'Kakera no Unmei' may be discontinued, because I'm having a hard time figuring out what to do with it. And 'Once the Dust Settles' is simply on hold, until I finish this story up.

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purplepeopleeater: Good, I'm not the only one who thinks he'd actually say that. Yay! :) Eh... Sesshoumaru singing love songs? That is wrong on so many levels...

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Shadow-flame131: Yes, I have seen that episode. I saw it in raw format though, meaning no subtitles. But, from what Japanese I do understand, and with what was going on, I could tell that he was worried about Sango. Um... I never received an e-mail from you, unless it somehow got deleted, but I'll be sure to add that into the 'Hints' section though! Thanks!

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Z.A.G: Heh, yeah, and I'm still going to say it, "all reviews mean the same to me; I appreciate them all". But don't do that, because then you won't be able to read this chapter, right? Anyways, thanks for the nice, long review n.n

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Shezel: Thank you so much n.n

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moggy201484271612345: Aw, thanks :) Atashi wa baka, ne? n.n;

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high-off-life: Hey... you weren't supposed to guess that. I like to take the strange way-- or rather, unexpected way, with things.

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L.J.: Whoa, did you like it that much? I'm glad to hear it. Thank you :)

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Miss Umi: Those were all good guesses! I hadn't even thought of half of those n.n One of them gives me an idea though... hehehe

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To everyone else: Once again, I just want to say thank you for the reviews. It's wonderful knowing that you enjoy this story :)

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AN: First off, I'd like to apologize for the long wait on this chapter. It just _didn't_ want to be written. That said, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

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Kirara blinked, her crimson eyes staring at the two warriors curiously. When she had gone after her mistress and Inuyasha, she hadn't expected to see... _that_!

Sango couldn't help but laugh as she looked towards her pet, "Its just Kirara."

Inuyasha glanced back to Sango, before looking to Kirara, "Kirara..." He cleared his throat in an embarrassed matter, and glanced back to Sango once again, "Does she _always_ have to follow you around?"

"Well, with the way you acted, I think she was just worried, Inuyasha." She replied, laughing once again.

"Hnnn..." The hanyou rubbed a hand over his eyes, trying to shake off the surprise of seeing Kirara. Clearly, he was embarrassed, and he was afraid to think of just how much more embarrassed he would be had it been Kagome or Miroku... "And you say Miroku worries too much..."

Kirara's ears flattened slightly as she sat down, looking as though she were guilty of some horrible crime, "Mew..." She mewed quietly, as her eyes glanced to the side.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow curiously, looking to Kirara, "What's wrong with her, Sango?"

The taijiya smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder, "I think you hurt her feelings. But..." Her smile faded slightly, as her fingers trailed lightly down his back, "We should go back to Kagome-chan and Houshi-sama... Kagome-chan didn't get to finish taking care of your wounds, I think you should let her finish..."

He glanced over his shoulder at her and nodded shortly, "If you say so." He said quietly. Then, looking down, he added slowly, "But... could you finish for her?"

"Me?" Sango asked, blinking, "I mean, of course I can. If that's what you really want, Inuyasha." She added quickly.

He nodded once again, giving a small smile, "Thank you."

She smiled and gave a short nod as well, before glancing to where her feline companion was still sitting, "I think we need to let Kirara know we're not mad at her though."

The hanyou scoffed, "Keh, she should know we're not mad. But, she shouldn't be sneaking up on us in the first place either."

Kirara looked up, her ears still down, and slowly walked over to the two. "Mew." She mewed softly, before rubbing against Inuyasha's leg and looking up at him.

Inuyasha again cocked an eyebrow at Kirara's actions, "Sango? What... is she doing?"

The taijiya did her best to bite back a laugh as she bent down and picked up the kitten, "What do you think she's doing? She's trying to let you know she's sorry. Ne, Kirara?"

The fire-cat mewed and looked at Inuyasha, before wriggling from mistress' arms and sitting on her shoulder instead. There, she mewed again and licked Sango's cheek.

"There, there, Kirara. Its okay, we're not mad." Sango smiled and looked to Inuyasha again, "Right?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say." He replied. Then, motioning back towards where the others were waiting, he continued, "Let's go back then. I don't want _everyone_ coming out here."

She nodded and walked beside him, before hooking her arm around his, "You know, you don't need to act so tough all the time."

He glanced to her, before looking to the side, "What do you mean 'act'? I don't act."

"Ah... I'm sorry." She said, smiling. Even though he was looking away from her, she could still detect the slight blush on his face, "I didn't mean anything by it... Inu-chan." She added, just to see what his response would be.

The hanyou stumbled, and probably would have fallen if Sango's arm hadn't been around his own. He looked at her, his expression being one of complete surprise as the blush darkened. Then, he abruptly looked away once again, "K-keh... I hope you don't start calling me that all the time."

"I won't." She replied simply, looking ahead, "I just wanted to see how'd you react."

He finally looked ahead as well, choosing to remain silent. Though, it wasn't long before his curiosity got the better of him, "... And? How did I react?"

"I figured you would brush it off easier than you did. But..." She glanced at him before adding, "You look really cute when you blush." She finished, blushing a little herself.

"If... you say so." Was his only reply. He wasn't used to getting complements, or giving them for that matter. So, he felt somewhat relieved when Sango left it at that.

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-Back with the others-

Kagome paced impatiently in front of Miroku, "What is with Inuyasha lately? Him and Sango-chan have both been acting strange lately." She stopped for a moment, looking in the direction Inuyasha and Sango had gone in, "Maybe there is something..." The miko shook her head furiously, "No! No there is _not_! The stress after everything we've been though has been tough... But, that doesn't mean Inuyasha can act like that!"

"Kagome-sama, I'm sure everything will be explained soon enough." Miroku said, trying to calm Kagome down, though he himself was still a bit shaken from his experience with the temperamental hanyou.

"Even if he does say why he did what he did, he doesn't have a right to threaten you like that, Miroku-sama." She replied, sitting down beside the monk as she crossed her arms, "The minute they get back, its 'Inuyasha, _osuwari_'!"

"Guah!!"

"Inuyasha!"

Both Miroku and Kagome looked up in surprise to see their two comrades. Inuyasha was, of course, facedown on the ground. And, Sango was kneeling beside him, making sure the 'sitting' hadn't reopened any of his previous wounds. The hanyou had nearly taken her down with him, but, luckily, she had removed her arm from around his only a few seconds before it had happened.

"What the hell did I do?!" Inuyasha asked, irritated, though his voice was muffled slightly.

Kagome laughed nervously, "Inuyasha, sorry, I didn't know you were-- mou, wait a minute! You know what you did. You need to apologize to Miroku-sama!"

"Keh!" Inuyasha replied, pushing himself to a sitting position, "I'm not apologizing to anyone."

"Its the least you can do after threatening him like that!" Kagome stated.

Inuyasha frowned, turning his attention from Kagome, to Miroku, "Well he should learn to keep his hands to himself."

"I assure you, Inuyasha, it won't happen again." Miroku said steadily, watching Inuyasha closely.

The hanyou studied Miroku's face for a moment, "It better not." He said with a low growl accenting his point.

"Inuyasha..." Sango began softly as she placed a hand on his shoulder gently, "There's no need to start anything again, okay?"

At her touch, his growling stopped, though he kept his eyes on the monk. As she finished speaking, though, he glanced at her and gave a short nod.

The taijiya offered him a small smile, then looked to Kagome, "Kagome-chan, could you give me some of those bandages? I'm afraid Inuyasha ran off before you could finish putting them on."

Kagome looked at the two for a moment, hesitating. Just how could they change the subject so easily? And just what had happened out there? However, when she gave Miroku a questioning look, he nodded, so she began looking through her backpack for more bandages, "I'll finish putting them on."

"Kagome-chan--"

"I want Sango to." Inuyasha stated simply, before Sango had a chance to finish what she had wanted to say.

Sango looked at Inuyasha in mild surprise. She hadn't expected him to be so... blunt about it, but at the same time, it made her happy, in a way.

Kagome looked at the hanyou as well, only she had a look of hurt written on her face. She was always the one who tended to Inuyasha's wounds. Well... except for the few times when she was angry with him for seeing Kikyou; then it was Miroku who did it. But Sango now? The miko turned back to her pack and moved aside a couple various items, trying to reach the bandages as she also tried to control the feelings that were rising up inside of her, "I said I would finish it."

"And _I_ said I want Sango to." Inuyasha replied firmly, doing his best to keep his temper in check. Sango's hand on his shoulder was the only thing keeping him from jumping up and grabbing the bandages from Kagome's pack himself.

Kagome's hand closed around a small bundle of bandages, though she kept her gaze on the bag, "Why?"

He took a deep breath, she really wasn't making this any easier... "Because I just do. Now, are you going to let us have the bandages, or are we going to have to go all the way to Kaede-baba's?"

The miko shook her head, and held the bandages to Sango, though she didn't look at her friend, "Here."

Sango took them and looked to Kagome, "Thank you, Kagome-chan."

Kagome stood up silently, still not looking at Inuyasha or Sango, "I'll be over there if anyone needs me." She said quietly, before walking a little ways away and sitting down again. She was sure to stay within eyesight though.

Sango looked to the bandages in her hands and sighed quietly, before beginning to cover the wounds on Inuyasha's back that Kagome had missed earlier.

"She'll be fine, Sango." Inuyasha said, noting the hint of sadness in her sigh, "Don't worry."

The taijiya nodded slowly, "I know..." The last thing she wanted to do, was to hurt her best friend, but it seemed like that had already happened...

"Perhaps you should talk to Kagome-sama, Inuyasha." Miroku suggested, glancing to Kagome, then to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha frowned, "Not when she's in one of _those_ moods. I won't even get one word in before she 'sits' me."

The monk turned his gaze to Sango next, "How about you, Sango?"

Sango shook her head, though her eyes stayed focused on her work, "I'm probably the last person she wants to see right now, Houshi-sama."

Miroku thought for a moment, then stood up, "In that case, I suppose I should give it a try." With that, he made his way over to where Kagome was.

Sango sighed once again, as she finished tending to Inuyasha's wounds, "They hate us." She said quietly, leaning her head against the back of his shoulder, "And they don't even know everything that's going on..."

"It'll be fine, Sango." The hanyou replied quietly, "They don't hate us. I think I just scared Miroku. And Kagome's just upset because..."

"Because she loves you." She said, finishing his statement, "And she thinks you love her in return."

He nodded slightly, "I know."

"Inuyasha?" The taijiya asked slowly, almost hesitantly, "_Do _you love Kagome-chan?"

"What?" He asked, sounding surprised, as he tried to look at her. But, given the way she was leaning against him, he couldn't really see her, "Sango, what kind of question is that?"

"I don't know..." She replied quietly, her voice shaking a bit.

He was silent for a moment, and then, "No, Sango, I don't." He looked ahead, his voice dropping so no one could overhear him, "There... was a time, I thought I could. But as time went on, I realized that whenever I looked at Kagome, it was like seeing Kikyou again. Because of that, I could never really... care for her. I consider Kagome a friend-- a close friend, but a friend only."

Sango nodded slightly, "I'm sorry, Inuyasha, I didn't mean to question you... I was just..." She shook her head, "I'm sorry... But... who do you see when you look at me?"

"Huh?" Again, her question surprised him, and again, he fell silent for a moment. His voice remaining low, he finally replied, "I see... a great fighter; a person who can fearlessly look any human, demon, or half-demon in the eye and not back down... I see someone who will stop at nothing to protect and help the people close to her..." His voice dropped again, this time to a low whisper, "I see someone who, despite having emotional as well as physical scars, can still look... beautiful." He paused for a moment. His face felt hot, and he knew he was blushing, and he was glad that Sango was behind him so she couldn't see, "I see you... Sango."

"Inuyasha..." She said quietly, feeling the blush rise to her face again. And, after that, she couldn't seem to get anymore words to form. So, instead, she slipped her arms around him; giving him a hug from behind.

He just smiled, and let one of his hands rest atop her own.

--

****

AN: I like Kirara n.n Honestly, it WAS going to be Kagome that snapped the twig, but I changed by mind because (a)- that's what everyone was saying, and I wanted to surprise you all n.n And (b)- I don't want to end this story just yet. Meaning, this story will be ending soon after the others fine out. Yes, I already have the ending written out. Yes, I have a tendency to write later chapters before early ones. Don't ask why. Anyways... until next time! Ja!


	8. Realizations, wolves, and settlement

Z.A.G: Heh, yeah I read you fic, its looking great so far. I can't wait to see what happens with it. I like fire; its quite intriguing, but I don't think I'd want to light myself on fire n.n;;

purplepeopleeater: Aw... no fair! I want a Kirara plushie, but the only plushie I ever see here is Jaken. Not that I have anything against Jaken, but, you know, Kirara's much cuter. And, yes, of course we got a blush! I can't write a story without having Inuyasha blushing at least once. Well, I can, but I don't :) And I'm so glad everyone seems in character, that's my one worry.

Zackkbum: Hmm... Now that I think about it, Sango does seem more like Kikyou that Kagome. At certain times, at least.

Saiyan God: Thank you so much n.n I'm glad you like the story.

Umi Fox: I had the whole Kirara thing written out before I received your review; but your guesses did inspire me to get another character involved; though it's only a one-chapter thing. Kagome with Miroku? Hmmm... no, I never said that anywhere, but who knows? It might happen :)

Everyone else: Thank you once again for the reviews n.n I love seeing what you all think of the story. And, as always, each review is very much appreciated, even if I don't respond to you individually.

AN: I don't have anything else to say right now, so, onto the story then!

* * *

It had taken a while; twenty or so minutes, to be exact, but Miroku had finally talked Kagome in to returning closer to the others. With a heavy sigh, Kagome stood up and followed the monk back.

Shippou had fallen asleep, curled up next to her backpack. And, after nearly becoming lunch for a hungry hawk-demon, the kitsune deserved a nap. But, he wasn't the only one that had fallen asleep. Nope, Sango had drifted off as well; her arms still locked around Inuyasha's waist, and her head still against the back of his shoulder. Kagome felt like screaming when she saw them. In fact, she opened her mouth to yell, when Inuyasha looked up.

"Don't." Was the only thing the hanyou said. It hadn't been a request, or a demand; it had been a statement. And, though it had only been one word, his expression, tone of voice, and the look in his eyes told Kagome everything she needed to know.

Kagome's vision became blurry then. She wanted to cry; not because he had chosen someone other than her... not because he had said some hurtful or uncaring thing... but because she realized something... She realized that he had never seen her in that way. Whenever they had been together and someone stumbled across them, he would get embarrassed; he would stutter excuses and deny it to no end. But here she was, coming across Inuyasha and Sango together, and Inuyasha wasn't the slightest bit embarrassed. If he, someone who never spoke about his feelings, acted as though Sango was just sitting beside him rather than leaning against and hugging him, did that mean he cared about her _that_ much? Was he so at ease with Sango that it didn't matter who saw?

The school-girl nodded slowly, a few tears falling down her cheeks, "Okay... Inuyasha." She said quietly, shakily. She still cared for Inuyasha, nothing would change that, but if this was what he wanted... Wiping her eyes in an attempt to stop crying, she turned and sat beside her backpack, close to where Shippou was sleeping. Without another word, she pulled a book from her bag and opened it, though it was evident that none of the words would get through to her.

Inuyasha nodded silently in thanks, and it wasn't long before the group fell into silence. It was strange, Inuyasha realized... he had thought he would have been embarrassed when Kagome and Miroku saw the way he and Sango were sitting. With the way he had felt when Kirara saw them, he was sure that he would be more embarrassed if his two companions saw them. But, surprisingly enough, when he had saw them looking at him, he didn't care. It didn't matter what they thought. It didn't matter what they did. All that mattered was that he was where he belonged. And, at the moment, he felt that he belonged there, with Sango. The hanyou wasn't too sure why Kirara seeing them had caused him to be more uncomfortable, than when Kagome and Miroku saw. The only reasonable explanation he could think up, was that it was because he wasn't sure how Kirara would react to it. He had had a pretty good idea how Kagome would react when she found out; he could guess that by how she reacted whenever Kikyou was involved in something. And Miroku... Inuyasha wasn't positive on how he would respond, but he knew that the monk wouldn't do anything _too_ drastic. Shippou... the kitsune was too young to understand such things.

But Kirara... no one was closer to Sango than her. So, in a way, Inuyasha had almost feared that the fire-cat would somehow... disapprove of him being with her mistress. But, he hadn't noticed until only a few moments earlier, that Kirara had been pushing them together. She had been bothering him that morning when they had started arguing. She had gotten Sango to come back outside so they could talk that same day. The fire-cat had even gone so far as to make sure the others couldn't follow them once he had gone after Sango when she ran into the rain. Inuyasha smiled to himself, no, he didn't have to worry about Kirara anymore.

Kagome sighed after a few minutes, and replaced the book into her backpack; there was no use in trying to read now. She looked over to Shippou, then suddenly looked up, "Shikon... there's a shard of the Shikon no Tama heading this way!"

Inuyasha frowned and growled slightly, "Don't get too excited..." He muttered, his gaze shifting to the side for a moment. His growl disappearing, he patted Sango's arm, "Sango. Sango, get up."

The taijiya stirred from her slumber, nuzzling the side of her face against Inuyasha's back before taking a deep breath and opening her eyes, "I... fell asleep?"

Inuyasha grinned and nodded, "For awhile." Once Sango had sat up, he reached for his fire-rat coat and put it on once again as he stood up, "Kagome senses a jewel shard... But there's not going to be a fight."

Kagome stared at Inuyasha in confusion. With the way he was talking, it seemed like it was...

Just then, a whirlwind came into view. And only a couple seconds later, it entered the area, stopping beside Kagome.

"Kouga-kun!" Kagome said, her suspicions being confirmed, "What are you doing here?"

Kouga smiled charmingly, "Rumor's about Naraku faking his death reached our territory, I had to make sure my woman was okay." He took her hands in his and leaned closer to her before adding, "So, Kagome, are you okay?"

Kagome laughed slightly and blushed, forgetting about her troubles with Inuyasha for the moment, "I'm fine, Kouga-kun."

"Good to hear." Kouga stated, flashing another of his smiles. His smile faded slightly, as his blue eyes glanced towards Inuyasha suspiciously. Usually the hanyou would be pushing him away, telling him to stay away from Kagome, and all that. But now, instead of standing defensively in front of Kagome, Inuyasha was standing defensively in front of... the slayer? Not that Kouga was complaining, or anything... "Yo, Inu-koro, you seem awfully quiet. Did you finally realize Kagome's better off with me, rather than a dog like you?"

Inuyasha frowned, "Keh! No ones better off with you, yase-ookami! Now why don't you hand over the shards in your legs, so I don't have to cut them open and get them myself."

Sango shook her head slightly, "Inuyasha, I thought you said there _wasn't_ going to be a fight."

"There doesn't have to be, if Kouga decides to give them to us freely." Inuyasha replied, grinning at the wolf.

Kouga smirked and shrugged his shoulders, "Sorry, Inu-koro, I don't have time to play. I have to--"

"Kooouugaaaa!!"

"Wait up!!"

The voices of Ginta and Hakkaku rose up, and a moment later, the two wolves came into view; stumbling and panting along.

Kouga turned to look at the two underlings, "Ginta, Hakkaku, what took you so long?"

The two stopped, each doubling over and resting their hands on their legs, "Kou...ga... not all of us... have Shikon shards." Hakkaku said, trying to catch his breath.

"Well, come on, we need to track down Naraku." The wolf prince said, turning to leave once again.

"Wait, Kouga-kun." Kagome said, putting a hand on his arm, "Wouldn't it be better if you stay with us?" She asked, causing everyone else to look at her in surprise, "We're all looking for Naraku, and if we search together, it will be easier to find him. Besides, it would be safer for you to travel with us, ne?"

Kouga smiled, and once again grasped Kagome's hands in his own, "It's great knowing you worry about me, Kagome. But I can promise you, nothing will happen to me. We'll continue looking for Naraku on our own."

Ginta and Hakkaku let out a collective sigh, each wanting to be able to rest rather than run after Kouga. But, he was the tribe leader, if he wanted them to run, they would run... "Kouga, couldn't we stay with them for at least one day?" Ginta asked.

"Like Kagome-neesan said, wouldn't we have an advantage if we all looked together?" Hakkaku added.

Kouga released his hold on Kagome's hands and turned to the other wolves, "Don't be stupid. I won't let Inuyasha be the one to take all the glory by defeating Naraku. Naraku's the one who had our kin killed, so the one who will kill Naraku will be me." He turned to Kagome once more, giving her a brief wave, "See you later Kagome. Take good care of my woman, Inuyasha, I won't forgive you if anything happens to her." And with that, he disappeared into a whirlwind and was gone.

Hakkaku and Ginta sighed exasperatedly and began running after their leader.

"Kouga!"

"Don't leave us behind!"

Shippou blinked curiously, the voices of the wolves having woke him up, "What was that all about?"

Kagome shook her head slightly, watching the retreating figures of Kouga, Ginta, and Hakkaku, "Kouga-kun was just checking up on us again."

"You mean, checking up on _you_?" Shippou asked, looking up at the miko.

She sighed, giving a short nod, "I guess you could say that, Shippou-chan. He's always turning things into a competition with Inuyasha though. It would be better if we all worked together to defeat Naraku..."

"It'd be better if he gave us those jewel shards in his legs." Inuyasha muttered, rolling his eyes.

Shippou looked from Kagome, to Inuyasha and jumped up, "Inuyasha, why didn't you defend Kagome? You know Kouga could've taken her away like he did when we first met him!"

The hanyou frowned, getting the urge to hit the kitsune over the head a few times, "Shippou... I don't need to defend Kagome."

"Why not!" Shippou replied, pointing accusingly at Inuyasha, "If you don't, then--"

Inuyasha's self control didn't last too long, and he put an abrupt stop to Shippou's talking, "You're too young to understand!" He said, hitting him.

"Waaaa! Kagome!" The kitsune cried, jumping into Kagome's arms.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded, trying to calm Shippou down, "You don't have to be so violent with Shippou-chan!"

"Keh!" Inuyasha crossed his arms, looking to the side, "He needs to mind his own business!"

Shippou sniffled, and looked up to Kagome with large, green eyes, "Kagome... you're not going to go off with Kouga now, are you?"

Kagome laughed and hugged the kit, "No, of course not, Shippou-chan. My place is here, collecting the Shikon no Tama shards with all of you. Nothing will change that." She let Shippou jump back to the ground, and looked to Sango and Inuyasha, giving them a small, almost apologetic smile, "Nothing at all." While she still had a while to go until she fully got over her feelings for Inuyasha, she knew she should, at least, be happy for her friends.

Sango smiled; glad to see that Kagome wasn't too upset with her. She then looked at Inuyasha, who merely nodded in acknowledgment to Kagome, "Inuyasha, would you have objected to much to Kouga staying with us?" She asked, just curious as to what he would say.

Inuyasha snorted, wrinkling his nose at the thought, "Keh, of course I would! I'd never let that yase-ookami anywhere near us."

"He'd make a great ally, though." The taijiya replied.

"The arrogant wolf always has to fight on his own, he'd only get us all killed!" Inuyasha said.

Shippou grinned mischievously, "Sounds like someone else we know..."

Inuyasha sent a glare in the kitsune's direction, "What's that supposed to mean?!"

Shippou shrugged innocently, "Well, you calling Kouga arrogant... its kind of funny."

"What do you mean?!" The hanyou asked, sounding more than a little annoyed.

The two continued to argue back and forth, until Inuyasha threatened the kitsune, causing Shippou to retreat into the safety of Kagome's arms.

Kagome sighed and shook her head while Shippou continued to shout insults at Inuyasha, knowing full well that Inuyasha wouldn't do anything to him since he was in her arms, "Shippou-chan, be nice. Inuyasha, you too." She said, smiling a little. While some things had changed, it was comforting to see that the majority of things remained the same.

'Those two will never change.' Sango thought, smiling to herself as she watched Shippou and Inuyasha; not that she wanted them to change though. She looked up to the sky and her smile faded slightly. The sun was already getting lower in the sky; the day was almost gone and they hadn't gotten anywhere really. In short, the day had been wasted. _'Well... not really wasted.' _She thought with a smile, as she took hold of Inuyasha's hand, "Come on, Inuyasha, leave Shippou alone for a while, okay?"

The hanyou glanced to the taijiya and 'keh-ed', "He's the one who started it." He mumbled, though he didn't say anything more to Shippou.

Shippou gave a triumphant smile, "I win!" Though, at the look Inuyasha shot him, he let out an 'eep' and nuzzled against Kagome.

"It'll be dark in a little bit. We'll stay here for tonight." Inuyasha said, and the others knew it would be pointless to argue with him.

So without another word on that matter, they began to get their things situated for the night stay.

* * *

**AN:** Kouga makes an appearance! A first in my stories, if I remember correctly. You have to feel sorry for Ginta and Hakkaku though n.n Anyways... I know there wasn't too much of Sango in this chapter, but next chapter will make up for it, promise! Not much else to say, so, hope you enjoyed it! 


	9. Nightmares, comfort, and sleepy confessi...

YojimbosBlade: Heh, well I'm glad you like this story n.n

Z.A.G: Ah, we could still have a body burning ritual-- that sounds fun... No, no, Kouga's not going off to get killed, I could never kill off Kouga, I like him too much. And yup, that's one story I've been working on for a while now. It was actually one of the first InuSan stories I ever planned. I already have a couple chapters written, just not the first chapter. The first one just doesn't want to be written. Anyways... I'm keeping my eye on your story n.n

moonsiren06: I just read your fic a little bit ago; looks good. I'm honored that my story was one of the ones that inspired you too :)

sangolover4eva2004: Thank you for the comment n.n I'm glad this seems to be getting better.

purplepeopleeater: Yeah, a Jaken plushie! It's cute, but I'd rather have a Kirara one. Jaken's whole obsessive worship of Sesshoumaru is cute though. And I'm not the only one who likes Ginta and Hakkaku! Great! n.n I don't think Inuyasha and Kouga could _ever_ be on 'good terms' though, they'd die without having some sort of competition with each other. And Miroku really doesn't appear in this chapter either; I tend to forget about him on account of, I don't really care for him. So, sorry n.n;;

AN: Whoa, two updates in one day! That has to be a record for me n.n;; This is mentioned in the first chapter, but I figured I'd say it again since there's a partial scene spoiler involving Sango and Kohaku in this chapter. Partial, because I altered it slightly to fit what I had planned. So, here it is; **warning, spoilers for the second movie are ahead. **There, don't say I didn't tell you.

* * *

Night came without many other events. Miroku had been rather quiet the rest of the day, as had Kagome. Though Kagome would occasionally look at Inuyasha and sigh. She had accepted the fact that Inuyasha chose Sango, but that didn't mean she wasn't without heart-ache over it....

It didn't take long for the group of shard hunters to get settled in for the night. And soon, silence filled the air around the campsite, as they each drifted off into sleep.

-II-

"Where are we?"

"The demon exterminator's village-- our home."

"Home?"

"That's right... You don't remember everything yet, do you?"

"I'm sorry, Sango-sama."

"It's alright, don't worry about it." _'Even though Naraku died... you are still not free... from the memories of killing our father and companions, are you?'_

"Ane-ue..."

"Kohaku. Just now you--"

"Only this word comes back to me... But as soon as it does, it feels as though my heart is being crushed."

"It's all right, don't push yourself. Just spend as much time as you need in order to remember."

Sango smiled sadly at her brother, he still had a long way to go and it wasn't going to be easy once the memories of what he had done came back to him. But she would be there for him, the whole time.

On her spot on the floor, Kirara jumped up suddenly. She sniffed the air a couple times then growled and bristled her fur. Without hesitation, she ran outside, ignoring the taijiya calling to her.

"Stay here." Sango said to Kohaku, before running outside just as Kirara transformed to her larger form. Who she saw, surprised her, "Kagura!" A noise at the doorway caught her attention, and she glanced back to see Kohaku there. She turned back to the wind-user, a look of determination coming to her face, "Are you here to take back Kohaku?"

Kagura laughed, looking to the side as an amused smile came to her lips, "What I am here for is the Swallow's Cowrie Shell that Kohaku is carrying." She turned back to the two taijiya, that smile still on her face, though it was evident that her intentions were not good, "We are both free of Naraku. Why don't we try to get along?" Her crimson eyes narrowed slightly as she saw Kohaku defensively place a hand over the pouch carrying the shell. "If you hand it over without resisting, then I'll let you both live."

Sango turned to Kohaku. She wasn't sure what the shell was, exactly, but with the way Kagura was talking, she knew she couldn't let the wind-user have it, "Kohaku, grab hiraikotsu!"

As soon as the boy turned to re-enter the hut, Kagura let her fan fall open and gave a quick wave of her arm, "Ryuujya no Mai!"

Sango turned just as Kohaku was coming outside again. She ran for him, it was dangerous for him to come outside. But she couldn't reach him in time. The wind picked them up, and instinctively she reached for her brother. Her fingers brushed his, but before she could get a firm grip on his arm, the force of Kagura's winds forced them apart. "Kohaku!!" She cried out, watching as the winds picked him up higher into the air, while she herself was forced to the ground. Before she hit the ground, though, Kirara caught her. The taijiya gripped onto her fur and leaned down to avoid being blown off of the fire-cat, "Kirara, get to Kohaku!"

Kirara obediently began flying against the strong currents, trying to reach Kohaku before anything happened to him.

They neared the younger taijiya, and Sango began to feel hope grow inside. But the hope quickly dissolved into horror as she saw Kagura make a move.

Kagura made another wave of her hand, and this time wind-blades cut thought the tornado-like winds, heading straight for Kohaku.

"Faster!" Sango practically screamed, hoping that they would be able to reach Kohaku before the deadly wind-blades did. But luck was not with them.

The blades hit. Ripping though his clothes and cutting deep into his flesh.

The pouch containing the Swallow's Cowrie Shell flew from its place at the boys' waist, to Kagura's waiting hand. "I take this with the utmost gratitude." The wind-user said smugly, as her feather carried her into the sky and away from the taijiya village.

Once Kagura was gone, the winds faded immediately. Kohaku fell from the sky, but once again Kirara was there to catch him before he hit the ground.

"Kohaku! Kohaku!!" Sango repeated his name several times, cradling his still and bloody body in her arms, "Kohaku say something, say anything! Please!!"

-II-

Inuyasha awoke with a start. A whimpering sound had been what woke him up. His eyes remained closed as his ears flicked in the slight breeze... No, nothing was coming towards them. He sniffed the air... No, no demons were nearby. Satisfied that everyone was safe, he opened his eyes and jumped to the ground. Kagome was closest to the tree he had been in. Despite the fact that she knew about him and Sango, the miko continued to be the one to sleep closest to wherever he slept. She was fine, sleeping peacefully in her sleeping bad. Shippou was, of course, curled up in her arms, sleeping as well.

The hanyou walked forward a few steps to Miroku. No, Miroku wasn't making any noise. The hanyou snorted. The only person left was Sango... He took a couple steps towards her, when the smell of salt-water reached his nose. He stopped for a moment, and sniffed the air. There was no mistaking it, Sango was crying.

"Sango." He whispered, kneeling beside the taijiya. He was surprised to see she was sleeping still. _'Crying in her sleep?' _He asked himself, blinking slightly. _'What could she be dreaming about?'_

"Ko... Kohaku!" Sango murmured, almost as though she were answering Inuyasha's silent question. She repeated her brother's name another time, as she curled up.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed in concern. He could see she was sweating; the moonlight gave the illusion that her skin was glistening because of it. When she whimpered again, he reached out and touched her shoulder, "Sango. Sango, wake up!" He said quietly, shaking her slightly.

Sango gasped and her eyes flew open. She took a few, quick intakes of air, before looking around frantically. Once it had registered that it had only been a dream-- a nightmare, she sat up and looked at Inuyasha. She wiped her eyes in a vain attempt to hide the fact that she had been crying, "Inuyasha... I..."

The hanyou made a quieting gesture and inclined his head towards Miroku and Kagome. He then motioned for Sango to follow him, before disappearing into the tree-line.

Sango took a deep breath, and stood up.

Kirara opened her eyes and sleepily looked up to her mistress.

The taijiya smiled slightly and bent down to scratch the kitten's ears, "Its okay, Kirara, go back to sleep."

Kirara yawned and laid back down. Inuyasha was with Sango, and Kirara knew that Inuyasha wouldn't let anything happen to her.

Sango followed Inuyasha as he walked past the trees, finally stopping once they were far enough from the others so they wouldn't wake them, "Are you okay?" He asked, turning to face the taijiya.

She nodded slowly, wrapping her arms around herself in an attempt to stop trembling, "I was dreaming about what happened after we had gone our separate ways... after I had gotten Kohaku back."

"But Kohaku's alive, Sango. The way you were acting, it was like he... wasn't." Inuyasha said quietly, unsure of whether or not she wanted to talk about it.

Again, the taijiya nodded, "I know... Kagura came to us, she was looking for a shell that Kohaku had. She took it and left our village in destruction-- more than it had been before then. But..." She trailed off and hugged herself tighter, looking to the side as she continued quietly, "But in my dream she didn't leave Kohaku alive... I know its stupid to get so shaken from a dream, but..."

"We're going to get him back." He replied, moving closer to her and putting his hands on her shoulders, "I promise you, I won't let anything happen to your brother."

She still looked to the side, unable to meet his golden gaze, "Since when did my problems become yours?"

"What?" He asked, releasing his hold on her as he looked at her in surprise, "Sango, how can you ask me that? Why _wouldn't_ your problems be mine?" He put his fingers under her chin and turned her head towards him again, forcing her to look at him, "Do you think I wouldn't care what happens to him?"

Sango closed her eyes tightly, new tears beginning to roll down her cheeks, "I don't know, Inuyasha... It's just... the more people tell me that everything will be okay, the more it seems like it won't be okay. Everyone has their own problems and burdens, I don't want to add to that, but it seems like I always do. I've put us all in danger many times, and all those times Kohaku was involved." Her body began to shake even more, and she finally let go of herself and clutched onto the front of Inuyasha's haori instead, "I don't want to lose anyone else again."

Inuyasha remained quiet for a moment, unsure of what to say, "Sango... you're right, everyone does carry their own burdens, but that doesn't mean we don't want to help you with yours. Kohaku is your family, no one expects you to just forget about him; even if we are put in danger on occasion."

The taijiya nodded as best she could and leaned her face against his chest, her words becoming muffled by the fire-rat coat, "I know..."

He let his arms wrap around her as he remained silent, still unsure of what to say, so he didn't say anything. Instead of saying anything, he just held her until she stopped trembling so badly. Once she seemed to be okay again, he moved back slightly in order to look at her.

Before he could step away, though, her hold on his haori tightened, and she pulled herself closer to him once again, "No... For tonight... could you just hold me..?"

The hanyou was once again quiet for a moment, before slowly letting his arms go around her again, "Of course." Sango was strong, he knew. But even strong people needed comfort at times. He had only witnessed her 'break down' a couple times, but she never had anyone to comfort her, other than the usual 'it will be okay'. But for now, he would stay with her... "Hold on." He said quietly, before picking her up in his arms and jumping into a tree. There, he sat on a limb with Sango in front of him. Sitting in a tree would be more comfortable than standing on the ground, at least that's what he figured.

"You could give me a little more warning before doing something like that." Sango said, half-seriously as she settled back with her back against Inuyasha's chest.

Inuyasha smiled slightly, "Sorry."

She sighed contently and closed her eyes. Just knowing that he would stay with her, and let her sleep while in his arms was enough. She felt safe with him there, even though she was at risk of falling from the tree. She knew she was safe with him, and she trusted him completely.

His smile faded slightly as he stared off into the night. He knew that Sango had gotten Kohaku back after they had split up. He had seen the younger taijiya with his sister at Kaguya's castle. He wasn't sure _when_ she had gotten her brother back, but he had been there when she lost him again. Kohaku had just started calling Sango by 'ane-ue' again, when Naraku stole him back.

Somehow it always came back to Naraku. Naraku was the reason Miroku had his kazaana. Naraku was the reason there were only a few remaining taijiya left. And Naraku, well, Naraku was the reason why Inuyasha had been sealed to that tree fifty years ago. _'Well... the bastard actually did something that turned out good.'_ He thought as he looked down to Sango, as that smile reappeared. If Naraku hadn't interfered all those years ago, he would've never met Sango. And, though many things since his 'awakening' had been tough, he knew it was worth it in the end.

"Inu..." Sango mumbled sleepily, bringing the hanyou out of his thoughts. She nuzzled against his chest before saying, "I'll view."

The hanyou cocked an eyebrow and chuckled before resting his chin on her head, "Whatever you say, Sango."

She smiled and went over the words she had said once more in her mind, _'Inuyasha... I love you.' _With a satisfied smile, the taijiya let herself fall asleep once more in the comfort of Inuyasha's arms.

* * *

AN: The End. Yup, you heard correctly; that's the end of it. For the record, a lot of the inspiration for this chapter came from 'Vanity' by Yuki Kajiura. Very pretty song.

-sighs- I loved writing this story so much, I almost don't want it to end. But, sadly, I don't know what else to do with it, so it shall end there. I hope you enjoyed reading it, as much as I enjoyed writing it!


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